Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection in full, including reopening of previously denied claims and granting new evaluations.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for right knee instability and arthritis was denied. The Board found that the current rating of 10 percent adequately reflects his symptoms, including painful motion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma and arthritis of the right knee, have resulted in his need for regular aid and attendance due to his inability to dress, undress, bathe, or toilet himself.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee osteoarthritis has been productive of flexion limited to 110 degrees, with extension limited to between 0 and 10 degrees, with objective evidence of painful motion. The RO granted a 10 percent rating for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current knee disorders and active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and bilateral knee disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling of VA examinations to determine the nature and severity of his hearing impairment and right knee disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities related to his service-connected conditions or any in-service injuries, and therefore, denied all claims of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including gastrointestinal, hearing loss, left wrist, left ankle, and skin conditions were denied.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for right and left knee disabilities, which the Board finds requires additional development due to inadequate examination.

The Board found that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine strain, schizophrenia, right ear hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, or fibromyositis. The effective dates for increased disability ratings were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disability and skin disorder were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by DJD and partial meniscectomy, was granted a 20 percent rating effective March 5, 2009. The condition is currently rated as moderate instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities are related to service, but further examination is needed to determine if these conditions were caused or aggravated by service. The Veteran also needs a VA examination for his current hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development to determine if the Veteran currently has left shoulder and right knee disorders, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder. The examination results will be used to assess whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal for higher initial ratings on his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left knee is withdrawn due to a request by the Veteran prior to the issuance of a decision. The current rating of 10 percent for this condition remains in effect.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including psychological anguish secondary to service-connected residuals of a scalp laceration and stress as secondary to acne vulgaris, is granted. Service connection was also established for intermittent headaches and pancreatitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a more contemporary VA examination and to request additional VA records for the right knee condition.

The Veteran's back disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected disabilities, specifically the right BKA and right buttock injuries. The Board grants service connection for this condition.