Knee Board decisions

The Board found no evidence of a current right knee disability or skin condition, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been granted. The effective date of the increased rating is July 27, 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for right wrist, left wrist, and left knee disabilities. The effective date is not specified as the claims were received in January 2005.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection for anergy due to insufficient medical opinions and examination findings. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions that were caused or aggravated by his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability and lung disorder (chronic bronchitis) were not incurred in service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5260 for limitation of flexion. The claim for a higher initial rating is granted.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals of his claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee and arthritis of the right ankle as he withdrew these appeals prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board due to lack of evidence supporting his assertions.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability and denied both claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a right knee injury to include as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, and remanded it for further development including a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disorder was not incurred or aggravated during active service and denied his claim for service connection. His acquired psychiatric disorder to include personality disorder is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disorder is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for depressive disorder, left knee disorder, and urinary incontinence as secondary to his service-connected herniated nucleus pulposus at L4-5 with bilateral radiculopathies.

The Veteran's right shoulder impingement syndrome resulted in limited abduction, with a maximum of 70 degrees from the side beginning September 8, 2006. The Veteran's right knee and left knee injuries were characterized by limited flexion.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability did not warrant a higher rating prior to September 8, 2006, or after that date. Her right knee and left knee disabilities each warranted a noncompensable rating prior to September 8, 2006, but were rated as 10 percent disabling beginning September 8, 2006.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to address his right knee symptoms of occasional give way and infrequent locking, as well as whether he should be entitled to separate ratings based on these symptoms.

The Board found no evidence that the Veteran's left or right knee conditions were aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 20% rating for his service-connected right knee disability, effective from June 1, 2006. The reduction was improper due to procedural deficiencies in following the applicable regulations.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the highest schedular rating available. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability evaluations for right hip and right knee degenerative joint diseases have been granted, with a current rating of 10 percent.