Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's low back strain is not service-connected, but his right knee disorder and hypertension are found to be related to his period of active duty. The claim for costochondritis remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a right knee disorder in September 1997, finding no new and material evidence. The claims were remanded multiple times but ultimately remained denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee disorder is not etiologically related to his period of active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a relationship between the Veteran's period of military service and his current bilateral lower extremity edema, arthritis of both knees and hips, post-operative degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine, post-operative cervical spine disorder, right arm disorder, or residuals of a head injury. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition in service or within one year after service and that his current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and consideration of whether the appeal should be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension for extra-schedular consideration.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development of his claim, including obtaining in-patient records from various military hospitals and updated VA treatment records.

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 service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, right and left ear hearing loss, a left knee disorder, arthritis of the right knee, low back disorder, allergy disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities or a link to active service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral knee, hip and back disabilities that are claimed to be secondary to his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder, left ankle disorder, low back disorder, and left foot pain were denied. The claim for the left ankle disorder was reopened but remained denied on the merits.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his low back, left shoulder, and left knee injuries were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for Multiple Sclerosis and an increased rating of 20 percent for Right Knee Disability. The Veteran's MS is presumed to have been incurred in service, while his right knee disability warrants a higher rating based on the severity of symptoms.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appellant is not eligible for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 or accrued benefits.

The Veteran's bilateral foot dysethesias, pes planus, chronic sinusitis with headaches, and right knee chondromalacia are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance for the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only.

The Board has reopened the claims for bilateral hip arthritis, left knee arthritis, and lumbar spine arthritis secondary to a service-connected right knee disability. The evidence presented is sufficient to establish that these conditions are related to the service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet, hands, vision, or ankylosis of knees or hips. Therefore, the criteria for VA financial assistance are not met.

The Veteran's severance pay was recouped from his VA disability compensation due to the law requiring it, and no legal merit exists for a different outcome.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The claim for service connection for a left knee disability has been reopened and is granted. Service connection for low back and sciatic nerve damage are also granted.