Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's initial ratings for chondromalacia of the left and right knees have been denied as his disabilities do not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is service-connected, and he has a current right ankle sprain disability that warrants a 10% evaluation. The claim for service connection for a right hip disability was denied as secondary to service-connected disability.

The Veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities, including osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and thoracic outlet syndrome, do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound due to his ability to perform daily activities with assistance.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma was denied in 1973, but new evidence has not been received to reopen the claim. The Veteran is granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD and no higher since it meets criteria for such a rating. Other claims have also been addressed.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right knee strain and right elbow strain were granted, but the Board found that a higher rating was not warranted at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine his employability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that an examination is needed to determine if the appellant's left knee disability is related to service, and thus remands the case for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development and adjudication of his service connection claims, including those related to kidney stones. The Social Security Administration records are also requested as they may impact his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's arthritis of both knees was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board finds no relationship between the current knee disabilities and his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a left knee disability and granted it. The Veteran's current left knee disability is found to be related to his service-connected right knee disability, which qualifies as secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and low back disability due to the need for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination.

The Veteran's right knee conditions, including meniscectomy and ligament reconstruction, were granted an increased rating of 10 percent. The arthritis was also granted a separate evaluation for instability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new examination to assess the severity of his left knee disabilities and issuance of a statement of the case on the issue of an initial disability rating greater than 10 percent for his service-connected left knee instability.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a left knee disability during service and denied the claim as residuals of a left knee contusion to include arthritis.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis, was not incurred in service and is denied. The left knee disability, also including arthritis, was also not incurred in service and is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability has been established.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability has been rated at least a combined 20 percent rating (based on limitation of motion and instability), effective from the date of this decision.

The Board has determined that further development of the evidence is required before the claims can be adjudicated. The appeal is REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC), in Washington, DC.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of additional medical records from Kaiser Permanente.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding no current disabilities and insufficient evidence to establish a link between in-service events and his current health issues.