Knee decisions — 2001

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder, back disorder, and ulcer disorder due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities or their onset within one year after service.

The Board found that the veteran's post-operative residuals of a right knee injury have not objectively resulted in extension limited to 15 degrees, flexion limited to 30 degrees or moderate recurrent subluxation or lateral instability. Therefore, the schedular criteria for an increased rating, in excess of 10 percent, were not met.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities.

The Board granted an increased rating of 10 percent for service-connected chondromalacia of the left knee and a 20 percent rating for service-connected chondromalacia of the right knee, effective from November 14, 1996.

The Board has remanded the case due to new legal requirements under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA). The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for chronic right leg, right knee, and right hip disabilities in October 1997. The case was remanded multiple times by the Board but the issues were not fully addressed.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left femur fracture and right foot arthritis were denied as the evidence did not show that they warranted a higher rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee condition, including as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The RO must obtain all relevant medical records and provide the veteran with an examination to determine the etiology of his current right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder as secondary to medication taken for the service-connected thrombophlebitis of the right and left legs, and denied an increased evaluation for impairment of the left knee.

The veteran's claims for service connection for psoriatic arthritis, right knee disability evaluation, and lumbar spine disability evaluation were denied. Temporary total ratings under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. � 4.29 and 4.30 were also denied.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic left knee disability in service and concluded that the current left knee disorder is not related to the veteran's military service.

The veteran's appeal is about his service-connected left knee disability and he seeks a higher rating. The Board has ordered additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling the veteran for an examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board denied increased evaluations for service-connected traumatic arthritis of the right and left knees, both currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a ganglion cyst of the left wrist, right ear hearing loss, and a left knee disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 and service connection for a left knee disability, finding that his pre-existing back disorder was not aggravated by VA treatment in August 1991, and that his left knee injury is not related to any service-connected or compensable disability.

The veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and his deviated nasal septum is not service-connected. The RO has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings.

The veteran's service connection claims for pseudofolliculitis barbae, residuals of a left thumb injury, and chondromalacia of the patella of the left knee have been granted. These conditions are considered to be directly related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for all the claimed conditions and assigned each a zero percent (noncompensable) evaluation.

The veteran's right knee disability, characterized by severe impairment including pain, weakness, instability, tenderness, limited range of motion, and degenerative joint arthritis, warrants a rating of 30 percent under the criteria for limitation of motion and degenerative joint disease.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for left knee instability, left thigh scar residuals of a shell fragment wound with left knee arthritis and ankylosis, or PTSD.