Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the knees and ankles were denied by the Board.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's bilateral foot disorder, left knee disorder, upper back condition, and bilateral ankle condition. The claims for low back condition and right foot neuroma were also denied as new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen them.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to inadequate examination reports and the need to consider his increased rating claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a right shoulder or left knee disability, and therefore service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's combined disability rating of 70 percent, effective June 1, 2010, is being remanded for further action. His claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is also being remanded.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities each manifest as moderate disabling, warranting a 20 percent rating for each knee under DC 5262.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing due to the Veteran's request and will handle it in an expeditious manner. The issues include reopening a claim for service connection, entitlement to increased rating, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee and lumbar spine disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during service, and therefore denied these claims.

The Veteran's appeal on the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition has been withdrawn.

The Veteran is granted a 100% rating for residuals of right knee unicompartmental replacement arthroplasty from December 17, 2008 through January 31, 2010. From February 1, 2010, he is granted a 30% rating for the same condition. The extension of a temporary total rating beyond February 28, 2009 is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted. The Board found that the Veteran had current tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure.,For the other conditions, the evidence did not establish a nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection, finding that there was no evidence of a right knee disability or heart disability due to in-service herbicide exposure. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left knee disabilities were found not to warrant higher ratings.

The Veteran's DM and hypertension are service-connected. The claim for headaches, bilateral foot disorders, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder is reopened.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left knee disorders, finding that new evidence supports a link between his current conditions and active duty service. The claim is granted as both knees are found to be related to service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 2, 2010 for her service-connected disabilities of the left hip, right knee, and left knee was granted. The effective date is set at April 26, 2010, which is the day following her separation from active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of various joint conditions, finding that they were not secondary to his service-connected low back disability.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring specially adaptive housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of evidence showing blindness in both eyes, anatomical loss or use of both hands, or preclusion from locomotion without assistive devices.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation, and his TDIU claim has also been denied.

For the period from November 22, 2006 to September 29, 2009, the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's current low back disorder is not etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis with painful motion is rated at 10% from May 1, 2007. The initial rating for his right foot plantar fasciitis remains non-compensable.