Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for further development of the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and back disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to obtain or retain employment consistent with his abilities, aptitudes, and interests. The Board has granted vocational rehabilitation benefits for a law degree.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee lateral patellar facet chondrosis and recurrent right knee strain. The claims of entitlement to service connection for a right ankle/right heel disorder and pes planus are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10% rating for internal derangement of the left knee, but his other conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for chondromalacia patella of the left knee. The Veteran's statements regarding continuity of symptoms since service were outweighed by the objective evidence, including negative separation examination and post-service clinical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fungal dermatitis, left hip disability, and left knee disability are related to her active service. The sinus condition and chronic allergies, as well as the gynecological disorder (cysts and associated scarring), have not been established as being related to her service.

The Board found no evidence of a current left knee disability and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected knee disabilities have been denied. The RO found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board found that the Veteran's service from July 1982 to October 1986 was under 'other than honorable' conditions, making it a bar to VA benefits for this period. The Board also determined that there is no evidence of chronic left or right knee disabilities during the Veteran's active duty periods and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board finds no credible evidence of a current left knee disability or any other service-connected condition resulting from the 180-foot fall. The Veteran's service treatment records do not support his claim for left knee injury, and he has provided no credible evidence to substantiate his allegations.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, ankle disabilities and tendonitis. The Board finds that a VA examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability has been manifested by limitation of flexion to at most 90 degrees and limitation of extension to 0 degrees, with the knee being stable. The criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verification of service dates and obtaining clinical records. A VA examination is also required to determine if any current right knee, right ankle, right shoulder, or back disorders are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran died from respiratory depression due to acute morphine intoxication. The appellant claims that the death was caused by his service-connected conditions, including generalized anxiety with depression and PTSD, which may have led him to abuse painkillers like morphine. The Board finds a need for additional development to determine if the cause of death is related to service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depression and multiple knee and back issues, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted an extension of the temporary total convalescence rating for right knee surgery until May 1, 2008. The Veteran's treating VA physicians estimated his recovery period to be up to 12 weeks.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, right hip disabilities, right knee disability, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sinus disability, left knee disability, acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD), and swollen neck glands. The evidence submitted since the previous denial was found not to be new and material.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left hip and a left knee disability, finding that these conditions were not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.