Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee disability and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine were not found to be related to service, and thus denied for service connection. The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine was also denied as it did not result in unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's right knee disability and thoracolumbar spine disability are not service-connected, and the TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left Achilles tendon repair and any current right leg, bilateral hip, and bilateral knee disorders.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability and granted it, finding that new evidence submitted since the last final denial shows a relationship between the current condition and military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorder, left upper extremity disorder to include as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are not supported by the evidence. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected right knee disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for right knee ACL partial tear prior to January 27, 2011 was denied. As of January 27, 2011, the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating remains unresolved.

The VA determined that the Veteran's left knee arthritis does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for more severe disability ratings based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are granted service connection. The right ankle disability, Haglund's deformity of the left foot, and bilateral knee disabilities are not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no current evidence of a bilateral ankle disability, and the Veteran did not have any other disabilities related to his period of active duty.

The Board found that the appellant's current left knee and left hip disabilities were not related to his service, specifically the May 1983 INACTDUTRA injury. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's residuals of bilateral total knee replacements, including a right knee fusion and left above-knee amputation, were caused by an unforeseeable event resulting from VA surgical treatment. The Board finds that the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 have been met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a request for a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The case will be returned to the RO for scheduling a video conference hearing.

The Board has determined that new evidence supports reopening the claims for service connection for left shoulder disability and osteoarthritis involving spine, knees, and hips. The Veteran's current conditions are presumed to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the Veteran's claims.,Specifically, the Veteran has not provided credible testimony regarding his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disorder was incurred during his service, but the character of his discharge for that period is dishonorable and therefore constitutes a bar to VA compensation benefits.

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

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and earlier effective date for his service-connected right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date, but also noted that additional development was needed to address whether the Veteran is unemployable due to his disabilities.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee osteophyte and left sciatica are directly related to his August 2, 2005 fall in the VA emergency room. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable as he can perform sedentary employment.