Knee Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and chronic lumbar sprain with degenerative disc disease, finding that new evidence supports these claims. The Board determined that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee and hip disabilities are currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board found that the reduction in the disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability from 50% to 20% was not proper, as there was no evidence of material improvement in his condition.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a current clinical diagnosis of PTSD. The right knee osteoarthritis was also found to be unrelated to service.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeals on the issues of service connection for tinnitus, increased evaluation for left knee disability, and increased evaluation for PTSD prior to June 5, 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches, finding that they are proximately due to or the result of a service-connected bipolar disorder. The left knee disability is not addressed as it was not on appeal.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to substantiate the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining medical records and verifying a stressor event.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disability and an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting these claims.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and his right shoulder injury is not service-connected. The Board denied the increased rating claim for the left knee and did not find service connection for the right shoulder injury.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left ankle disability were denied. The initial evaluation was found to be appropriate at all relevant times.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for a right knee disorder, as there is no chronic condition present at the time of discharge and no medical evidence linking current symptoms to service. The Veteran's claim was denied.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of the award of a 20 percent disability rating for his service-connected left talus fracture residuals was denied. The claim for heart disease service connection was also denied, and the issue concerning whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a service connection claim for a bilateral knee disorder is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 23, 2006 rating for his service-connected right knee chondromalacia was denied.,VA is required to withhold $5,151.60 in VA compensation benefits to recoup a lump-sum severance payment.

The Veteran's right knee disability, diagnosed as chondromalacia and retropatellar pain syndrome, is considered service-connected due to its onset during active duty.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the appellant's right knee, low back, and sleep apnea disabilities are related to his service-connected left knee disability or other conditions. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current left knee, left arm, and left shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right knee PFPS were denied, with the Board finding that his conditions did not warrant higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his right knee conditions and their impact on his functional ability.

The Board found that the Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen his August 1982 RO administrative decision, which held that injuries incurred in a December 7, 1980 motorcycle accident were not incurred in line of duty. The Board also determined that there is no direct link between the Veteran's current disabilities and service.