Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for hemorrhoids and left knee degenerative arthritis effective April 4, 2012.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of a prostate disorder, chronic head or neck disorders, or chronic shoulder and knee disorders related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at a 60 percent evaluation beginning November 1, 2009. The right knee disability remains at a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims due to the need for additional medical records. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral hip disability are currently under review.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine and bilateral knee disability are being considered as secondary to his service-connected right ankle instability. The examiner will determine if these conditions have worsened due to the right ankle disorder.,The Veteran's residuals from a head injury are being evaluated, but no specific service connection theory is provided.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee degenerative joint disease was denied. The effective date of the separate rating for left knee instability prior to May 9, 2013 is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is not related to his service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee ligamentous laxity, fibromyalgia, recurrent sinus disorder, gallbladder disorder, and CPPD have been granted. The RO found that these conditions are related to her service-connected schizoaffective disorder.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim has been reopened, and service connection is granted. Service connection for bilateral knee chondromalacia patella (patellofemoral syndrome) and degenerative disc disease at L5-L1 are also granted. The back disability claim is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, schedule a VA examination, and readjudicate the TDIU claim. The issues of service connection for depression and increased evaluations for right ankle and bilateral knee disabilities are also being addressed.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his right and left ankle disabilities, as well as his right and left knee disabilities, were granted at 20 percent each. The appeal is not about service connection but rather the evaluation of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling him for VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee condition did not have its onset in service or for many years thereafter, and a preponderance of evidence fails to establish it is otherwise related to his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee has been rated at 10 percent since February 2009, and is not more than this level.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions are not related to disease or injury in active service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral knee condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the issue by his attorney.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic lumbar strain is not found to have caused or aggravated any of his claimed bilateral hip, knee, ankle, or foot disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability is not service-connected and his claim for an increased rating of residuals of shrapnel wound to the right foot was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that the right knee disability was caused or aggravated by the service-connected right foot disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and any necessary imaging studies to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability. The RO will then re-adjudicate the claim.