Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disorders do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining all forms of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking his current right knee disability to his military service. The arthritis was deemed age-appropriate and not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected knee and spine disabilities have been denied. The RO found that the current evaluations adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and records are needed to properly adjudicate the appellant's claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for left knee disability and 20 percent for diabetes insipidus, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including a medical opinion by a VA orthopedic specialist regarding his service-connected left knee and right hip disabilities. The claims will be adjudicated again once this development is completed.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a surgical scar associated with internal derangement of the right knee, traumatic arthritis was denied by the Board.

The Board granted a disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, effective from August 30, 2004. The claim for service connection for depression was also granted as it is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for the service-connected left foot injury residuals was denied, and his claims for service connection of bilateral knee disorders and leg disorders were also denied. The RO found that the current evaluation accurately reflected the severity of the conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The VA examiner concluded it is less likely as not related to his service-connected right knee disability.

Throughout the rating period on appeal, the Veteran's left knee has been productive of daily pain at a level of 7 or 8 out of 10, with occasional flare-ups and instability due to weakness. Lachman's and McMurray's tests have been negative, with mild instability and no subluxation. Flexion has been no worse than 135 degrees, with extension to zero degrees, and there has been no evidence of additional functional limitation due to pain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine is secondary to his service-connected residuals of shell fragment wound to the left thigh. The right leg disability, including DJD of the right knee, was not found to be related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee strain, right knee traumatic arthritis, and lumbar strain. The Veteran was not granted any higher initial or staged ratings.

The Veteran's cervical right trapezius strain was rated at 10 percent prior to April 5, 2008 and increased to 20 percent beginning on that date.,For the period of time beginning April 5, 2008, the Veteran's cervical right trapezius strain is rated at 20 percent.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for a left knee disorder, either on a direct basis or as secondary to a service-connected right knee disorder.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and his T-9 compression fracture does not warrant an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for generalized joint pain, right elbow disorder, and left knee disorder have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran has a chronic undiagnosed illness manifested by diffuse joint pain during his service in Iraq, but did not find separate diagnoses of right elbow or left knee disorders.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis and instability have been rated at 30 percent since January 25, 2007. The claim for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is denied.