Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, finding that there is no current disability related to his military service.

The Board has granted an effective date of October 7, 1998 for the separate evaluation of traumatic arthritis in the left knee. The Veteran's duodenal ulcer is not service-connected and thus does not warrant a rating. The Veteran's instability, marked left knee, is currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for left knee and low back disorders, but these issues are being REMANDED to obtain additional medical evidence and opinions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, right and left knee disorders are all found to be related to service. The right and left knee disorders were aggravated by subsequent active duty.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the specified criteria for issuance of a certificate of eligibility.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of cold weather injuries to the bilateral lower extremities was denied as there is no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his right knee disability and obtaining any outstanding SSA determination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The low back strain and left knee conditions are currently rated at 20% and 10%, respectively, while the right knee condition is not related to service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected GSW to the right knee, evaluated as a right thigh muscle injury, is now rated at 40 percent, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral leg, hip, and knee disabilities. The Board has also identified a potential low back disability as an issue to be addressed due to its relevance to the current claims.

The Board found no nexus between the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability and service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disorder and skin disorder are service-connected due to aggravation of pre-existing conditions during active duty.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee and left ankle disorders are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability, including his cervical spine with associated iliac crest donor graft sites at both hips. Therefore, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee and right foot injury, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD (major depressive disorder), a right knee disability, and kidney cancer. The denial is based on lack of new and material evidence to reopen the claim for residuals of a left knee and right foot injury, insufficient evidence of in-service stressors for PTSD, no current right knee disability, and no link between kidney cancer and active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the right knee and lumbar spine, residuals of a left ankle sprain, arthritis of the right shoulder, body cramps, hepatitis C, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The appeals were dismissed due to lack of evidence or insufficient material.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The claim to reopen a back disability was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to address the issues of service connection for a right knee disorder as secondary to lumbosacral spine disability and an increased rating for lumbosacral spine disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and a back condition, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of his left knee disability and service connection for a right knee disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development.