Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hand, right arm, bilateral shoulder, and right knee disabilities were denied as secondary to his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine. The Board found no current disability in any of these conditions.

The Board found that there was no actual improvement in the Veteran's right knee disability over the 8-month period between the February 2009 and October 2009 examinations. Therefore, the reduction from 30 percent to 10 percent for his service-connected right knee disability is denied.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 10 percent prior to February 1, 2011. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be at least in part due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The left knee disability, however, is not shown to be related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, back disability, and left knee disability were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred in service due to noise exposure. The Veteran's status post residuals of left knee menisectomy are not etiologically related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disorder clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service, and was not aggravated by any incident of his active service. The right knee disorder is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder is found to be related to his service-connected right and left knee disabilities. The appeal for the lumbar spine disorder secondary claim is remanded.

The Board has determined that further development is required before the claims for service connection can be adjudicated. The case is being remanded to the RO/AMC for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen his claim of bilateral hearing loss. The claims for tinnitus and left knee disorder are granted as secondary to a service-connected right ankle disorder. The effective date for service connection is set at February 18, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a more thorough VA examination of his left knee disability, including range of motion studies and assessment of pain, instability, and other functional limitations.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected low back disability and left knee degenerative joint disease have been granted, with the effective date being prior to May 5, 2010. The Veteran is also entitled to a separate compensable rating for neurological manifestations of his low back disability.

The Board found that the appellant's claimed disabilities, including right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, left foot/ankle, low back, gouty arthritis, and chronic sinusitis, were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service. The most probative evidence established that these conditions are not causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's eye irritation, joint pain, headaches, chest pain, and right knee disability are all found to be due to undiagnosed illnesses related to service in the Southwest Asia theater during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions including a bilateral foot disorder, left knee disorder, hiatal hernia, residuals of pilonidal cyst, residuals of cholecystectomy, right shoulder disorder, hypertension, heart disorder, asthma, and an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar strain, right knee sprain, and left knee sprain. The Veteran's residuals of a fracture of the left ring finger were also not granted an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability was evaluated at 10 percent, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left knee disability related to his military service, or that is secondary to his service-connected right knee arthritis.,However, the Veteran's skin disorder of the feet, diagnosed as residuals of tinea pedis, can be reasonably disassociated from his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current neck, shoulder, and knee disabilities are related to his in-service injuries. The claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.