Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the representative withdrew the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service connection claim for arthritis of the knees is denied as there is no evidence showing that he has this condition due to service. His increased rating claims for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees are also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as his attempts to reopen previously denied claims. The evidence submitted since the last denial is not considered new and material.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in requesting hospital records from Hohenfels, Germany. The Veteran's right knee disability may be related to a motor vehicle accident during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee degenerative joint disease is due to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is related to his military service.,Service connection for a bilateral knee disability, currently diagnosed as bilateral knee strain and osteoarthritis of the knees, is granted.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his left knee disability is related to service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of increased disability rating for Meniere's syndrome, service connection for right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and service connection for rhinitis are pending.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent each, but the evidence does not support a higher rating for either knee.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or instability, as there was no ankylosis of the spine or knees, and the Veteran had not experienced incapacitating episodes related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service separation, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 30 percent disability rating for left knee ligament disorders, effective July 1, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee and ankle, which is secondary to his service-connected residuals of fragment wound of the left thigh, has been remanded due to uncertainty regarding the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right ankle disability that he claims is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary, including an examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the right ankle disability.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis with instability and limited extension, have been rated based on their functional impairment. The RO has granted increased ratings for the left knee disability since August 8, 2012.

The Board finds that the evidence is against a finding of a right shoulder disability causally related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's right hip arthritis, left knee arthritis, and lumbar spine arthritis are all related to his service-connected residuals of partial tear of the left Achilles tendon.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for additional development of his left knee disability, sleep apnea, and stroke claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA orthopedic examination to determine if the Veteran's right knee disability is related to military service or caused by his service-connected left knee disability. The appeal will be re-adjudicated after this development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis of the right and left knees were manifested during active service and there is competent evidence of a continuity of symptoms. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.