Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a lumbar spine, right knee, or left knee disability that is related to his active military service.

The Board has not made a determination on the service connection claims for right knee degenerative joint disease and hypertension as these issues are considered 'unknown' due to insufficient information. The initial rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for psychiatric disorders, low back disability, right knee and left knee disabilities, and ankle disabilities have been granted.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and polycythemia vera. The appeal will be remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed blood disorder found.

The case is being remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination. The AOJ will then readjudicate the claim.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for hypokalemia has been withdrawn. The claims for bilateral feet, ankle, and right knee disabilities have not met the requirements for service connection as there is no credible evidence of current disability or in-service incurrence/aggravation. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied on both direct and secondary bases.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The right and left knee disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran seeks a temporary total rating for convalescence after his left knee replacement surgery. The Board is remanding the case to determine if the surgery was related to his service-connected patellofemoral syndrome and whether it required at least one month of convalescence.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, plantar fasciitis of the left foot, and plantar fasciitis of the right foot. The claim for bilateral shin disability was denied as there is no current diagnosis of a chronic bilateral shin disability.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including strain and associated meniscal tear and cartilage defect, was rated at 30 percent for limitation of extension from November 2010 to March 11, 2011. From May 1, 2011, she is entitled to a separate 20 percent rating for instability.

The Veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been granted service connection, but are currently rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability, claimed as secondary to service-connected right knee bursitis, is not proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected condition. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a condition of the right hand, wrist, and fingers as secondary to service-connected right elbow disability. The Veteran's other claims are either denied or require further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disorder, identified as patellofemoral pain syndrome, is related to his period of service and granted service connection for this condition. The remaining issues regarding increased evaluations for right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and chronic sinusitis are pending.

The Veteran is granted a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability and an increased rating of 10 percent for the service-connected left knee disability on the basis of function loss for the period prior to October 11, 2011.,For the period of the appeal prior to October 11, 2011, the Veteran is entitled to a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability and an increased rating of 10 percent for the service-connected left knee disability on the basis of function loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including obtaining an opinion on whether his service-connected left ankle disability caused a worsening of any currently diagnosed left and right knee disabilities beyond their natural progression.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's bilateral knee arthritis and his military service, including any service-connected disability. The claim was denied as there is insufficient medical evidence to support a direct service connection.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including a tear of the lateral meniscus and degenerative arthritis, is currently rated at 10 percent. Separate ratings for instability and limitation of motion are also granted.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for postoperative degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, postoperative residuals of a right knee injury, and eczema have been denied. The VA has not found sufficient evidence to grant any of these claims.

The Veteran's right knee disability, post TKR, has been rated at 20 percent since May 20, 2008. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating during this period.