Knee decisions — 2001

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for his right and left knee conditions, concluding that there was no evidence linking these disabilities to his military service.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased rating for temporomandibular joint syndrome is granted, with a rating of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for neck, back, and shoulder injuries as well as flat feet, chondromalacia of the right knee, and abrasion of the left knee. The decision also found that the veteran had no dental injury during service.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's residuals of left knee injury with lateral instability, effective from the date of this decision.

The VA denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's left knee arthroscopy, finding that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence of instability or subluxation to warrant a compensable rating under Code 5257. The medical evidence showed full range of motion in both knees, with minimal limitation of motion due to arthritis, which did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under Codes 5260 and 5261.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, effective from the date of his claim. His right knee disability is rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the reductions in ratings for the veteran's left knee, right knee, and lumbosacral spine disabilities from their previous levels were not proper.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating based on the evidence provided.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for synovitis of the right knee and PTSD, finding no evidence of a current disability or verified stressors.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right knee and hip disabilities, as well as his claim for PTSD service connection, were denied by the RO. The RO found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected torn ligament, right knee, and scar, posterior scalp, laceration.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's left ulnar nerve transposition and left elbow capsulectomy, effective from May 1996. The combined disability rating of 100 percent is also granted.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating greater than 10 percent for his left wrist disability, and he does not meet criteria for an original rating greater than 10 percent for atrophy of the thenar muscles of the left hand.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and procedural issues, including a need for additional development under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or service-connected left knee injury, and thus denied the claims for these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and an increased evaluation for his left knee disability. The denial of the right knee claim is based on lack of new and material evidence, while the left knee claim remains pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his internal derangement of the left knee, finding that the disability warranted only a 10 percent rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's increased rating claims for his service-connected left thigh, left foot, and right shoulder disabilities. The RO also granted service connection for a right knee sprain and assigned noncompensable evaluations to each of these disabilities, effective from June 1999.