Knee Board decisions

The Board denied the reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the new evidence submitted was not material to reopen the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, Hepatitis C, Right Knee Injury with Arthritis, and Injury to Chin as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange. The veteran's muscle and joint aches and swelling are also found to be related to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have arthritis of the neck, hands, left knee and left shoulder, or chest pain as a result of his service-connected seizure disorder or associated medications.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and VA treatment records. The issues on appeal are whether the veteran is entitled to service connection for a cervical spine disability, a psychiatric disability, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, and a right knee disability.

The RO denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation and TDIU due to his service-connected left knee disability, as the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence linking the veteran's current arthritis of the knees and spine to his service, including any in-service lifting of ammunition boxes. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder and bilateral knee disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and arthritis may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor may arthritis of the left knee be presumed to have been incurred therein. The VA examination opinions obtained by the RO are sufficient for a determination on the merits of the veteran's appeal.

The Board has granted initial evaluations of 20% for the service-connected right knee disability and a 10% evaluation for the service-connected left knee disability, based on the severity of symptoms and functional impairment.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not attributable to service. As a result, the claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that they were aggravated by service from a pre-existing condition.

The veteran's appeals for service connection for right ankle and low back disabilities have been dismissed due to the veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions were not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The RO denied all issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and requests for additional information from various sources.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination for PTSD, left knee degenerative arthritis, foot fungus, and back injury.

The Board has granted separate 10 percent evaluations for each knee based on limitation of motion and arthritis with periarticular pathology productive of painful motion. The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the veteran's right and left knees have any more than slight instability, thus they are no more than 10 percent disabling based upon instability.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current nature and etiology of the veteran's claimed left shoulder and bilateral knee conditions, including through VA orthopedic examination with appropriate diagnostic testing.

The Board has determined that the veteran's surviving spouse is in need of regular aid and attendance due to her physical limitations, including frequent falls and inability to care for herself without assistance.