Knee Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus due to insufficient evidence of in-service injury or disease resulting in current disability.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for an examination and additional records.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions and exposures, with the majority of issues seeking service connection for various health problems. The Board has determined that a hearing is needed to address these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee conditions, finding that the current 30 percent rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's plantar fasciitis, left foot; patellofemoral syndrome, bilateral knees; and right shoulder tendonitis are all related to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and treatment records from Pensacola Naval Hospital. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for systemic multiple joint arthralgias, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are also being reviewed.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his knee disorder did not meet the criteria for an extension of a temporary total rating beyond July 31, 2006.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right and left knee chondromalacia patella are being remanded due to the need for a more recent VA examination.

The Veteran's complaints of right knee, ankle, and hip disabilities are not supported by credible evidence or opinion linking them to service. The Board finds that the Veteran did not have a chronic condition in service that resulted in current disability.

The Veteran's claim for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile and/or adaptive equipment was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating prior to May 3, 2007 was denied as his left knee disability did not warrant a higher rating. The extension of the temporary total evaluation beyond August 31, 2007 was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, including post-operative residuals of the right knee with scars, right knee traumatic arthritis, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee, do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and residuals of a laceration to the right index and ring fingers were denied. The current evaluations are found to be appropriate based on the evidence of record.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of patella tendinitis/patellofemoral syndrome.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, nor is it secondary to a service-connected disability. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been granted a 20 percent disability rating for each knee, effective from February 2008.