Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his service-connected right foot fracture residuals and his claimed disabilities of the feet, knees, hips, and lumbar spine.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left shoulder condition, right knee disorder, and cervical spine condition. However, it finds that there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's current tinnitus and his in-service noise exposure or any other incident of service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability. The Veteran is entitled to service connection for his right knee disability as it was aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board finds that an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, for the period from May 17, 2005 to November 15, 2007, is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination, as well as the need to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is being remanded for further examination and determination of whether it was aggravated during service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are each manifested by pain, noncompensable limitation of flexion, normal extension, and subjective complaints of giving way and falling. The criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent have not been met.

The Board has denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that no new and material evidence has been received to relate the current disability to service.

The Board is remanding the issues of service connection for a low back disorder and a right knee disorder due to inadequate opinions in the January 2006 VA examination report. The Veteran needs to provide information about his private treatment, and VA should obtain any outstanding records.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected left knee disorder does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent, and he did not establish service connection for any other claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his service-connected left knee patellofemoral syndrome, reduced extension of the left knee, and chronic right knee strain were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim and thus, new and material evidence has not been received. As a result, the appeal is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient opinions and missing medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected shell fragment wounds to the left thigh and right calf, as well as traumatic arthritis of the left knee, are currently rated at 10 percent. The Board denied increased ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for an increased disability rating for his service-connected right total knee replacement.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee instability and lumbar spine disability were denied. The Veteran was not granted a higher rating for instability of the right knee, as the maximum schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 5257 is already assigned. Separate compensable ratings for limitation of extension and flexion of the right knee were also denied. For his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, grade I spondylolisthesis, a higher rating was not granted due to lack of evidence showing fracture of a vertebral body with demonstrable deformity, pronounced intervertebral disc syndrome, ankylosis of any portion of the spine or separate neurologic manifestations.