Knee decisions — 2001

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee sprain, finding no evidence of chronic disability and insufficient medical evidence to establish a link between current symptoms and service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to new legal requirements and additional development needed.

The June 6th, 1973 rating action denied the veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The March 1949 rating action terminated a temporary total rating for convalescence purposes and assigned separate evaluations for left leg and thigh muscle injuries.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disability did not warrant a higher evaluation, as there was no evidence of severe impairment or instability. The claim for service connection for a right knee disability was also denied.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has determined that the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability is denied. The BVA found that the VA examinations did not comply with the requirements set forth in 38 C.F.R. � 4.40 and 4.45, DeLuca v. Brown (1995), and the guidelines set forth by the VA General Counsel.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the 1961 and 1985 rating decisions, and denied claims for service connection based on secondary effects of a pre-existing right knee disability.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his inability to use both lower extremities without aid.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee and right foot disorder due to lack of well-groundedness. The RO provided additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination, but the Board found that an opinion regarding the etiology of any current right knee or right foot disability was not provided by the examiner.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected arthritis of the left and right knees, finding that the current evaluations adequately reflect their severity.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected scars do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, and thus denied his claim for an increased rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a vitreous floater of the right eye, refractive error, and a psychiatric disorder secondary to service-connected disabilities. The appeal was also denied for service connection for a dental condition.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for subluxation and instability of the right knee from September 23, 1992 to April 19, 2000. For the period after April 19, 2000, the veteran's right knee disorder is currently rated at 30 percent disabling.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee disability, right ankle sprain, and shin splints were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent for any of these conditions.

The veteran seeks service connection for arthritis of the left knee and lumbar scoliosis, claiming these conditions are related to his service-connected left knee condition. The Board has ordered additional development including a VA examination.

The veteran's claims for higher evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disorder were denied. The RO granted a 40 percent evaluation for the left knee disorder, effective from May 1, 1999.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not incur a bilateral shoulder disability as a result of active service. The claims for respiratory disorder, arthritis of the right knee, and gastrointestinal disorder have been reopened due to new evidence submitted since the previous final decision but remain denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, secondary to the veteran's service-connected PTSD and orthopedic conditions. The effective date is not specified as it was a grant of service connection.

The veteran's right knee is mildly symptomatic post-meniscectomy, warranting a 10% rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder. The claim will now be reviewed on its merits.