Knee decisions — 2002

The Board has reopened the claim and determined that a current bilateral knee disability existed prior to service, thus granting service connection based on a presumption of soundness at entry into active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee DJD, left knee DJD, and bilateral pes planus with DJD were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for her right knee condition and service connection for bladder infection, urinary incontinence, and cervical spine injury were denied. The RO found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation or service connection.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's left knee synovitis, finding that his disability did not warrant a higher evaluation based on the evidence of record.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a psychiatric disability, back disability, or knee disability that was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee was denied. The claims for higher rating and convalescence following surgery were also denied.

The veteran's claims for higher disability evaluations have been granted, with the highest evaluation of 20 percent assigned for his residuals of an excision of the left knee retropatellar fat pad. The other issues remain at their current non-compensable levels.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back, right leg (to include right knee), cervical spine, and psychiatric disabilities are not service-connected as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's postoperative residuals of degenerative joint disease of the right knee with total knee replacement, effective from February 1, 1999.

The veteran's left knee disability was rated at 40 percent effective March 20, 2001. The combined rating for instability and limitation of motion is higher than the maximum allowed under Code 5261.

The Board found no evidence of a right knee injury or condition during service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left knee chondromalacia, finding that the condition existed prior to his entry into military service and did not increase in severity during active duty.

The Board denied secondary service connection for back and right knee disabilities, as well as an increased rating for the right ankle disability. The veteran's service-connected residuals of shell fragment wounds to the right thigh are currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board found that there was no competent evidence linking the veteran's arthritis of the knees to his active duty service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's disabilities, including PTSD and duodenal ulcer, rendered him unemployable prior to July 21, 1998. The RO granted a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes effective July 21, 1998.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his knee disabilities have been denied. The RO found that the current disability levels do not warrant higher ratings based on the evidence of record.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, effective November 1, 2001. The condition is rated under Diagnostic Code 5055 (prosthetic replacement of the knee joint).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy/carpal tunnel syndrome, a low back disorder, and bilateral knee disorder. The claim for bilateral foot disorder was not well grounded as it was not related to any other condition already granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a below-the-knee amputation of the right leg and service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support the veteran's claims.,For the claim of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, the Board determined that the veteran's below-the-knee amputation was not caused by negligence or fault on the part of VA treatment providers and thus did not meet the criteria for compensation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left knee disability warrants a 20 percent evaluation, and his service-connected lower back disorder warrants a 40 percent evaluation.