Knee decisions — 2001

The Board granted an increased disability rating of 20 percent for the veteran's left knee disability, effective July 21, 1997. The decision also noted that a separate rating for arthritis in the left knee is warranted.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection due to the character of his discharge from March 7, 1987 to November 30, 1994.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for postoperative residuals of a right knee injury effective June 21, 1992 and a separate 10 percent evaluation for arthritis of the right knee effective June 21, 1992. The veteran's claim for an increased rating on an extraschedular basis has not been met.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD, and his depressive disorder, right shoulder tendinitis, and left knee arthritis are not service-connected. The rating for residuals of shell fragment wound to the right leg remains at 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disorder and bilateral knee disorders, as well as his request for an increased evaluation for residuals of left ankle injury. The veteran's service-connected residuals of left ankle injury are currently rated at 10%.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, which includes arthritis, instability, and post-surgical scarring.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and COPD. The reasons were that there was no competent medical evidence of a diagnosis or etiology for PTSD, and the VA examinations did not find any current disabilities related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected bilateral pes planus and right and left knee disabilities, finding that the highest schedular evaluation available (50%) had been assigned.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a gynecological disorder, finding no evidence linking her current condition to her period of active service.,The Board also denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for right knee injury and arthritis of the right knee, as there was no medical evidence showing that these conditions were more disabling than currently evaluated.

The Board has granted service connection for urinary incontinence, but denied service connection for fibrocystic breast disease and bilateral knee disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including re-evaluating the veteran's service-connected left knee disability and considering whether the manifestations of this disability warrant evaluation under separate diagnostic codes. The current claim for service connection for a back disability as incurred during active military service is also being considered.

The veteran's left knee disability, characterized by painful motion and functional loss due to pain, has been granted an initial evaluation of 40 percent from July 3, 1993 to December 9, 1996 and on and after March 1, 1997.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have a left knee disorder and did not incur one during service. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral defective hearing and an ear disability manifested by chronic ear infections. The veteran was not granted a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected left knee disorder or IBS.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right knee disorder and anxiety reaction, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating under the applicable criteria.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 3, 1996, for a grant of total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to procedural issues.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between the veteran's current condition and his military service.

The veteran's claim for TDIU benefits is being remanded due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability records, VA rehabilitation records, treatment records from Decatur and Danville VAMCs, and a VA examination.

The Board denied a claim alleging clear and unmistakable error in the December 1994 rating decision that assigned a 20 percent evaluation for residuals of a fracture of the right femur with knee involvement. The evidence did not support granting a higher rating based on marked knee disability or severe muscle injury.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected left knee disability did not cause or contribute to his death, and concluded that other conditions (such as vascular disease) were more significant in causing his amputation and subsequent pulmonary embolus.