Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for clarification on whether there is instability in his right knee, and a new VA examination is required.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for arthritis of the right knee, arthritis of the left knee, and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's DDD was found to be at least as likely as not due to or a result of military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on appeal are being remanded to the RO for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his hip, knee, shoulder, wrist, heel, and ankle disability claims remain unresolved.

The Veteran's permanent and total service-connected disability due to bilateral knee disabilities and lumbar spine disability has been established, which allows for the provision of specially adapted housing.

The Veteran's right knee retropatellar pain syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD, is withdrawn. The staphylococcal infection to the left knee resolved after treatment and is not currently shown. The cause of the Veteran's eczema is not related to his total knee replacement and thus is not a result of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA in furnishing the hospital care, medical or surgical treatment, or examination.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, right knee strain, and left knee strain have been granted service connection with initial ratings of 10 percent each. The effective date is February 22, 2004.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by painful motion but without limitation of motion or instability, has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee and back disabilities are not related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death. The Board found that the Veteran's cerebrovascular accident, congestive heart failure, and atrial fibrillation were unrelated to any of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for the issues of entitlement to higher initial evaluations for his scar on the left shin and for PTSD. As a result, these issues are dismissed.

The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, left and right shoulder disorders, headaches, vertigo, and hearing loss to the RO via the AMC for further development before readjudicating these claims on their underlying merits.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral hip disorder has been withdrawn. The Board has granted service connection for left knee disorder as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a left above-the-knee amputation resulting from Department of Veterans Affairs treatment in March 1998. The appeal is remanded due to incomplete records and the need to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is rated at a 10 percent disability effective from June 30, 2005.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder should be remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding pre-service existence and aggravation during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed left heel, knee, and hip disorders are not related to his service-connected left great toenail disability. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling due to degenerative changes, but does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on limitation of motion or extension.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus was granted with an initial rating of 30 percent, effective May 19, 2010. The claim for higher ratings for the right knee and back disabilities is addressed in the REMAND portion.