Knee Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's chronic left knee disability is found to be related to his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a current examination and retrieval of recent medical records. The goal is to determine if there has been any progression in his left knee disability, including whether separate ratings are warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is associated with secondary disabilities of the left knee, feet, and ankles. The initial evaluation for his right knee chondromalacia patella remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient competent medical evidence on file for the Secretary to make a decision on the claims of service connection for right knee, left knee, and right heel disabilities. A VA examination is required.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and right knee disorders were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee arthritis, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for service connection of COPD. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as they are not severe enough to prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee meniscectomy residuals have been rated at 20 percent since July 28, 2008. The current rating is maintained as the criteria for a higher evaluation are not met.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is needed before a decision can be made on the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, left knee strain, and right knee strain have been denied. The preponderance of the evidence does not support an increase in disability rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability, rated at 10 percent since May 17, 2005, has been granted a higher rating of 30 percent effective from June 1, 2009.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders are not related to her active service, thus denying her claims for service connection.

The Board found no current medical diagnosis of hearing loss or right knee disability and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The case is being remanded for further examination and clarification of the Veteran's claims, including a right thigh disability and service connection issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is etiologically related to active service, while his left ankle disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 60 percent for his right knee condition, which is rated as a prosthetic replacement with chronic residuals, has been remanded due to the need for further examination and consideration of whether extraschedular evaluation is warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral ankle disability, low back disability, and bilateral knee disability. The decision concluded that there was no evidence linking these disabilities to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, left knee, right knee, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for a left shoulder disability and determined that there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection for any of the other conditions.

The Veteran's traumatic arthritis of the knees with meniscal and anterior lateral cruciate ligament tears and a Baker's cyst is granted as service connected, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claimant.