Knee decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is well-grounded and grants this portion of his claim. The issue pertaining to the right knee will be deferred pending resolution of the left knee.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, bilateral defective hearing, and tinnitus were denied as they are not well-grounded.

The Board has granted an initial grant of 30 percent rating for right knee instability, effective June 1996.

The veteran's lumbosacral strain has been rated at 40% since June 13, 2000.,The right knee disability was initially granted with a noncompensable rating from September 1, 1995 to February 11, 1998. It was then increased to 10% from February 12, 1998 to June 12, 2000 and further increased to 40% after that date.

The veteran's service-connected lumbar strain was initially rated at 10 percent from April 29, 1995 through November 8, 1998.,From November 9, 1998, the disability evaluation increased to 20 percent.

The Board denied both claims for service connection, finding that the veteran's claims were not well-grounded due to a lack of medical evidence linking his current conditions to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a dislocated left knee and a fractured right clavicle with loss of motion of the right shoulder are denied as not well grounded. The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is also denied.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The RO had previously assigned combined ratings of 60 percent for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for galactorrhea, right scleral laceration, and fibrocystic breasts. The claim for an increased evaluation of her left knee disorder was also denied. Service connection for laparoscopy scars was not granted as it is considered a direct service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for arthritis of the right knee, with history of medial meniscectomy, is remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The VA has denied an increased rating for the veteran's postoperative residuals of a left knee ACL insufficiency and meniscus tear, currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including a back disability, lung disability, bilateral knee disability, post-traumatic stress disorder, and nicotine dependence, are not well-grounded. As such, these claims have been denied.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected arthritis of the right knee, effective from December 2, 1993.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee disability, finding that the current 10 percent evaluation is appropriate based on the lack of limitation of motion or instability.

The VA determined that a right orchiectomy was not caused by the service-connected postoperative articular anterior cruciate reconstruction and lateral meniscectomy of the right knee.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee disability is not well-grounded because there is no medical evidence linking his current right knee disability to an incident of service or to any other service-connected condition.

The veteran's left knee disability is manifested by slight limitation of motion with mild pain, but no instability. The right knee has full range of motion without clinical evidence of pain or weakness.,Prior to October 7, 1996, the veteran's allergic rhinitis was characterized by postnasal drip and nasal obstruction, with no objective evidence of moderate crusting or atrophic changes. Saddle nose deformity was noted but not documented on the most recent VA examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, and left knee disorder were denied. The claim for an initial evaluation for right knee disability was also denied.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for neck, left knee, and right knee disorders due to a lack of evidence showing a link between these conditions and active military service.

The Board has determined that a 60 percent evaluation is warranted for chronic hepatitis with cirrhosis, which meets the criteria under Diagnostic Code 7345.