Knee Board decisions

The Board found that a chronic left knee disability, including DJD, was not present during active service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year after service discharge. Therefore, the Veteran's current left knee disability is not considered incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are not related to his service-connected traumatic amputation of the left forefoot, and thus denied these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right leg/knee disability and chronic headaches to include migraines are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination and an income verification form. The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension is being reviewed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right hip, left hip, right knee scars, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. The effective date is November 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee, left knee, and left shoulder disorders are not related to his service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that these conditions began in or are otherwise linked to his military service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions and records in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis of the knees is related to his in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted. However, service connection for patellofemoral syndrome is not established.

The Board has restored the original disability ratings for the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen previously denied claims for bilateral ankle disabilities are addressed, but no specific rating or decision is provided as these issues are considered 'mixed'.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for a bilateral knee disability, low back strain, and neck disability. However, further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The case is being remanded for additional development of the Veteran's claims, including review of records from 'B' Clinic and VA treatment records from October 2009 to January 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease. The decision is based on a finding that there was no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The Veteran's initial rating for ventral hernia, incisional repair with residual abdominal wall muscle strain was granted at 10 percent prior to September 23, 2010 and increased to 20 percent as of that date.,The Veteran's right thumb fracture with residual small muscle strain, status post internal fixation of ulnar aspect, received an initial compensable rating of 10 percent prior to December 15, 2010 and was granted a higher rating of 10 percent as of that date.,The Veteran's right foot pes planus is rated at 10 percent.,Service connection for asthma has been established based on its relationship to the service-connected ventral hernia, incisional repair with residual abdominal wall muscle strain; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).,Left foot pes planus was not found to be related to active duty service and is not secondary to any service-connected disorder.,Right knee disability and left knee disability were not found to be related to active duty service and are not secondary to any service-connected disorder.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, has been denied.

The Veteran's residuals of the removal of an osteochondroma from his right leg are currently rated at 10 percent, effective since service connection was granted in March 2007. He also has a separate noncompensable rating for incomplete paralysis of the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his left knee disability and scar have been granted, with the TDIU claim being granted as well.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for patellofemoral syndrome with osteoarthritis of the right and left knees are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to address whether his current knee conditions are aggravated by his service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right knee disability that he believes is related to his service-connected pes planus. The VA examiner found no pathology present for a diagnosis of a right knee disability, but the Veteran's podiatrist stated it was highly probable that bilateral knee pain noted is related to service-connected pes planus. A new VA examination is needed to determine if any current right knee disability exists and whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need to consider newly service-connected radiation colitis and additional evidence received since the last SSOC.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, post-total right knee replacement, was found to have chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion and weakness. The Board assigned a 60 percent rating based on the severity of these symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and TDIU is being remanded due to incomplete medical records, unclear treatment history, and the need for further development of evidence.