Knee Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for a higher evaluation for arthritis of the left knee and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and crushed leg muscles.

The Board remands the claims for a VA examination to determine if G6PD deficiency is a congenital defect or disease, and whether any superimposed injury occurred during service. The claims for increased ratings for arthritis of the knees are also remanded as no SOC has been issued.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee, finding that there was no evidence to support a conclusion that his condition was caused or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a throat condition, left wrist condition, numbness of the left hand and fingers, and bilateral foot condition were withdrawn. The Veteran was granted service connection for arthralgia of both knees but denied service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran was granted an initial 10 percent rating for chronic left knee strain, and separate 10 percent ratings were assigned for cervical and lumbar spine osteoarthritis. The claims for increased ratings for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and the remaining spinal conditions were denied.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disorder clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying service connection.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is manifested by a range of motion from 0-100 degrees, at worst, with painful motion and mild instability. The evidence throughout the appellate period has revealed evidence of degenerative arthritis of the left knee.

The Board denied service connection for the residuals of a right femur fracture, finding clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition pre-existed the Veteran's active service and was not aggravated by it. The initial evaluation of 10 percent for chondromalacia of the right knee was granted.

The appeal for service connection for a left knee disability was denied because the current left knee disability was not initially manifested during service, and there is no evidence of a nexus between the in-service infection and the current degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran's right knee disability was denied an increased rating as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on flexion and extension limitations.

The appellant's service-connected hypertension and right knee genu varus do not meet the criteria for higher initial ratings, and he is not entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, while other conditions remain non-service-connected.

The Veteran's left knee disability was denied an increased rating, and a 10 percent evaluation for instability was granted from the date of claim.

The veteran withdrew his appeals of entitlement to service connection for residuals of shrapnel wounds to the back and neck.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a compensable rating for his service-connected conditions, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the current severity of his disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for a VA psychiatric and general examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's PTSD and whether his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder, PTSD, and the reopening of claims for a skin condition, calluses on the feet, and a left knee disorder were denied. The evidence submitted was not sufficient to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for left foot, right wrist, left wrist, right hand, and left hand disorders as no chronic conditions were shown. However, the Veteran was granted service connection for left hip, right hip, right knee, and left knee disorders due to in-service arthralgia.

The claims for increased ratings must be remanded to obtain current treatment records and new VA examinations.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left knee degenerative joint disease post arthroscopic meniscal surgery to obtain additional records.