Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the petition to reopen a claim for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease and denied entitlement to service connection for keratoconus, right eye.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his claimed low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Veteran's appeal was not timely filed regarding the issues of earlier effective dates for service connection and increased evaluations. As a result, these claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by degenerative joint disease and limitation of flexion but not instability, does not warrant a rating in excess of the current 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for cervical disc disease since September 26, 2003. The claim for higher ratings remains pending. The Veteran's right knee disorder is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board denied service connection for back and left knee disabilities, but granted service connection for a mild hallux valgus deformity of the left foot with hypertrophic osteophyte formation and calcified density in the first metatarsal phalanx joint. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's left knee scar, which is superficial and not painful on examination, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code. The VA examiners found no limitation of motion or instability due to the scar.

The Veteran's skin disorder of the face, scalp, and head area is attributable to service. The Board finds that pes planus, bronchitis, and arthritis of both knees are not related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities do not warrant evaluations in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of recent treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted, and there is no current disability found to be related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disorder existed prior to service and was not aggravated during service. The low back disorder is not shown to be related to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran does not have a current right knee, left knee, cervical spine, shoulder, or low back disability that is shown to be related to active service. The Board finds clear and unmistakable evidence of the preexistence of these conditions prior to service.

The Veteran's right knee instability and arthritis have been rated at 30 percent since July 1, 2008. The medical evidence shows chronic residuals of pain and weakness following his May 2007 surgery.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the last final denial of service connection for a left knee disability is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's request to reopen his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate reasoning in previous decisions and an incomplete VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide updated opinions from VA examiners.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee condition existed prior to his service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to loss of use of either hand, bilateral knee disorder, low back disorder, respiratory disorder (sinusitis), or sleep apnea. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing such a condition was incurred in service.