Knee Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of a right knee or low back disability, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his educational attainment and occupational experience, preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury, but denied reopening of his claim for service connection for a right knee disorder. The decision is mixed as it grants part of the appeal and denies another.

The Board found that there is no medical evidence to support a finding of a direct relationship between the Veteran's right knee disability and service, or any other basis for service connection. The claim for GERD was remanded as it pertains to an issue not related to service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disability is related to his service. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical records and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Veteran is seeking to establish service connection for a lumbar spine disability that he believes is secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The Board has determined that an additional examination and opinion are needed to address the issue of secondary service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, sinusitis, and conjunctivitis. However, additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling him for examinations to assess the severity of his spine and knee disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee symptoms prior to February 25, 2014 are very similar to those for which a 60 percent disability rating has been assigned.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine if the Veteran's right knee, left hip, or left ankle disorders are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, to include as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, is being remanded due to the need for further examination and development.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, characterized by arthritis and limited range of motion, has been rated at 10 percent since January 2008. Since August 2012, the Veteran also has a separate rating for slight subluxation of the right knee joint.

The Veteran's medical expenses for non-VA care on October 21st and 22nd, 2010 were reimbursed due to the nature of her injuries being related to a service-connected condition (right knee disability), and VA facilities not being feasibly available.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA orthopedic examination to determine if the Veteran's current right and left knee disorders are related to his active service or any other relevant factors.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for service-connected right knee instability and degenerative arthritis of the right knee, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than the current 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee patellofemoral traumatic arthritis and left wrist degenerative joint disease were denied. The evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability was not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by any service-connected disability.

The Board found no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his death, nor did it find any other service-connected disability that contributed to his death. The cause of death was listed as 'pending,' making it impossible to determine if any service-connected condition caused or contributed to the death.

The Board denied reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right leg injury (currently claimed as torn cartilage in the right knee) because no new and material evidence had been submitted.