Knee decisions — 2001

The Board denied increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, as well as bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus. The veteran's disabilities were rated at 10% each.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to new evidence and a request for a hearing.

The veteran's disabilities, including schizophrenia, diabetes mellitus, and lumbosacral strain, are so severe that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether the veteran meets the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current right knee disorder to his active service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and adjudicating issues of service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right knee disorder warrants a 10 percent rating, considering his minimal pain and intermittent flare-ups. The claims for increased ratings for malaria and PTSD, as well as the TDIU claim, are addressed in the remand following this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability is not service connected as secondary to his service-connected low back disorder.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred as a result of private physical therapy treatments from August 18, 1998, to October 15, 1998 is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for traumatic arthritis of his left knee, right ankle, and left ankle. The RO had previously awarded a 10% rating for each disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee condition, finding that the evidence submitted since the November 1996 decision is not new and material.

The Board found that DJD of the left knee, right knee, and left shoulder did not occur during service or due to a service-connected condition. The claim is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, insomnia, throat disorder, and right foot disorder. The claim of reopening a low back disorder was also denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of arthritis in the left hand, and the VA examinations did not support a current disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability, post-total replacement, does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent. The right knee degenerative osteoarthritis is also rated at its maximum allowable under VA guidelines.

The Board found no current diagnosed disabilities of the left wrist, low back, or bilateral knees and denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted a combined evaluation of 30 percent for the veteran's left knee disability, with a 10 percent rating under Code 5257 and a 20 percent rating under Code 5258. The decision is based on moderate instability and arthritis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back disability is service-connected, and his bilateral knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability, characterized by unsteadiness and occasional locking but without limitation of motion beyond normal range, does not warrant a rating in excess of the current 10 percent evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including bronchitis, bilateral knee condition, bilateral leg pain, concussion, right shoulder dislocation, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine at L5-S1, and bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's overpayments of VA benefits for his children were found to be invalid due to administrative error, and the claims are denied.