Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is service-connected, resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left and right knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not show that either condition warranted a higher evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration, as the VA compensation examiner was unable to provide a definitive opinion on whether the Veteran's current left knee disorder is related to his military service without resorting to speculation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for right knee arthritis and finds that new and material evidence supports this claim. The Veteran's current right knee condition is found to be related to his military service, including an in-service diagnosis of osteochondritis dessicans. His bilateral hearing loss is also found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right knee disability and increased rating for his left knee disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, a left knee disability, and a disability manifested by blood in the stool are being remanded due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for left knee and neck disabilities have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The Board finds that service connection is established for a left knee disability, but further development is needed before addressing the claim for a neck disability on its merits.

The Board has granted initial ratings of 10 percent for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, effective July 25, 2005. The Board also found that service connection is warranted for these conditions on a secondary basis due to their relationship to his pre-existing knee disabilities.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his knee and shoulder disabilities have been granted, with the right shoulder receiving a separate rating for instability. The left hand and left wrist conditions are not currently under appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and opinions to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issues of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral knee disorder and lumbar spine disorder has been withdrawn. The claims are dismissed.

The Board found no evidence of a current bilateral knee disorder and concluded that the appellant's claimed knee pain is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disabilities have been granted and assigned a 10 percent disability evaluation effective from October 18, 2008. The issue remains in appellate status as the separate disability rating for degenerative joint disease of the right knee arises from and is an element of the Veteran's appeal.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed hip, leg, knee or right hand disability. The May 2009 VA examination did not reveal any arthritis in these joints.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is related to her military service and grants her claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right knee arthritis are service-connected as they were incurred during his active service.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis with limitation of motion was rated at 10 percent prior to July 16, 2010, and increased to 40 percent effective from July 16, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches and right knee disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for migraines prior to May 13, 2009 or a rating in excess of 30 percent thereafter. For his right knee condition, the evidence showed arthritis without significant limitation of motion or instability.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient response to private medical opinions and failure to consider lay assertions of continuity of symptomatology.