Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has ordered additional development of the appellant's case, including obtaining his service personnel records and private medical records. The case will be remanded for further review after these records are obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disorder is not related to his service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing at the Denver, Colorado RO.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected left knee osteoarthritis with medial joint space narrowing, currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient development of evidence, particularly regarding his service connection and rating for left knee disabilities. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran does not have a current bilateral knee or right ankle disorder, and the VA examiner found no connection between her service-connected right hip disorder and these conditions. The low back disorder was diagnosed as mild scoliosis of the lumbar spine, which is considered a congenital defect.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability is not etiologically related to his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, and thus denied his claim for secondary service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hip degenerative joint disease, which required a total hip arthroplasty, is proximately due to his service-connected right knee disorder.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his left knee disability was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to February 1, 2005, and 30 percent from April 1, 2006.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disabilities and entitlement to TDIU were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment of a sedentary nature.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for clarification of the Veteran's service connection claims, particularly regarding his back disorder and its relationship to a pre-existing scoliosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is related to an injury sustained during active duty or inactive duty training, and service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee disorder, including arthritis and patella femoral syndrome, was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including severance of service connection for the right knee and adjudication of the left ankle fracture claim. The Veteran's request for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for his right knee disability remains pending.

The Board found that there is no competent evidence of a current diagnosis of a chronic disorder resulting from an in-service left ankle injury. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability must be denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ocular hypertension was denied. However, his TDIU due to service-connected disabilities has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran experienced chronic inservice right knee, left knee, and right ankle disorders. As such, service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and back disorders. The evidence shows that the Veteran had symptoms of back pain during active duty, which he continued to experience post-service. While there is no direct evidence linking his current back disorder to service, the continuity of symptomatology supports a finding in favor of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left and right knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and the Board finds that current hearing loss is less likely than not related to service. The Veteran's knee disabilities are also not shown to be related to service.