Knee decisions — 2001

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a left knee injury with calcific deposits, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee and left lower extremity.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not constitute new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection of a left knee disorder. The veteran's claim remains final.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for the veteran's low back disorder, effective from March 2000. The ratings for left and right knee disorders remain at 10 percent each.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and evaluations for his claimed conditions, finding that none of the conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's appeal is for a higher rating for his service-connected right knee disability, which has been rated at 30 percent. The RO needs to obtain more recent medical records and schedule the veteran for an orthopedic evaluation to determine if he should be entitled to a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition due to new and material evidence. However, it denied his claims for increased ratings for tinea pedis and tinea cruris, as well as his request for a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran's right knee disability was aggravated by active service, while his left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent and does not warrant a higher rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a hearing before the Board at the RO due to his inability to attend a scheduled hearing in Washington, D.C. due to medical and financial reasons.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his postoperative residuals of a lateral meniscectomy, arthrotomy, arthroscopic debridement, and status-post total left knee replacement, finding that the disability did not meet or approximate criteria warranting a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic low back pain, bilateral hip pain, and right knee pain are not service-connected as manifestations of an undiagnosed illness due to his active duty in the Southwest Asia theater during the Persian Gulf War. The preponderance of evidence shows these conditions have been attributed to known clinical diagnoses.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee condition and increased the ratings for traumatic arthritis of left ankle, history of old injury, and chronic lumbar syndrome, degenerative disc disease. The effective dates for these grants are July 15, 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the hips and knees, finding that it was not well-grounded.

The VA determined that the appellant's right knee disability, which includes arthritis and some instability, does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection, finding no evidence to support his assertions of secondary right knee disability or other service-connected conditions. The veteran was also not granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to his non-service-connected Down syndrome.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD was incurred during his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issues of back condition with radiculopathy and bilateral knee condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has found no evidence of a current disability for any of the claimed conditions and concludes that none are related to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that a higher evaluation for the veteran's right knee DJD, post-operative meniscectomy, history of sprain, patellofemoral joint syndrome, and chondromalacia patella is not warranted under current criteria. However, arthritis of the right knee warrants a separate 10 percent rating.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disorder is unrelated to service and denied his claim for service connection. The case was also remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.