Knee Board decisions

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is etiologically related to service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current left knee disability and his military service, including any in-service injuries. The Veteran also needs to provide Worker's Compensation records for post-service left knee injuries.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder and finds that it is not related to service. The Veteran's left knee disability, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus are not related to service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disorder. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. His left epididymitis was not found to warrant a compensable evaluation, and his bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent since March 25, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining her Social Security Administration records and conducting further examinations to address outstanding VA benefits issues.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not currently have a left knee disorder, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome. The VA examiner's opinions in December 2010 concluded that these conditions are less likely than not related to his service-connected lumbar disc disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his residuals of left knee strain/sprain. The issues are about entitlement to an increased rating for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disability, neck disability, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, and right knee disability. The appeal is considered final due to the denial in March 1992.

The Veteran's service-connected post-operative right knee disability with moderate diffuse osteoporosis and scar has been rated at 10 percent since the initial grant of service connection. A separate 10 percent rating for instability is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the Veteran with a VA examination to determine if his current low back, left knee, and bilateral foot disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his bilateral knee disabilities have been denied. The RO assigned a 10 percent evaluation for limitation of flexion in each knee, effective June 1, 2002.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, alone, do not render him unable to care for his daily needs or protect himself from the hazards incident to his environment. Therefore, he does not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance of another person.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to January 15, 2009 and on and after March 1, 2010.

The Veteran's left knee retropatellar pain syndrome and chronic lumbar strain are currently rated at the lowest possible levels, with no higher ratings warranted based on the evidence provided.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee arthritis did not have onset in service and is not attributable to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's right knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis and residuals of a medial meniscectomy, are currently rated at 10 percent each. The Board finds that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected patellofemoral syndrome of both knees does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability due to new and material evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claim is now being remanded for further development.