Knee decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a right knee or back disability, and thus the claims for service connection are denied.

The VA denied increased ratings for the appellant's service-connected right femur and knee injuries, as well as his low back pain. The RO found that the current disability levels did not warrant higher ratings.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, which is manifested by pain and limited flexion to around 90 degrees with no limitation of extension, does not warrant a higher rating than the current 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disabilities, finding that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his conditions.

The veteran's combined rating for right knee disabilities has been denied as the schedular criteria for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for right knee ligament instability and 10 percent for traumatic arthritis have not been met.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran's left knee patellectomy residuals are rated at 20 percent, and the appeal is granted.

The VA has determined that the veteran's postoperative right knee injury warrants a 20 percent disability rating, effective from October 14, 1992.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities involving his knees or reflux esophagitis, and there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to service. The appeal for headaches is deferred until after the development of the low back disability issue.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected lumbar spine and left knee disabilities due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant due to his overall disability level.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disorder secondary to the veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, but denied service connection for a back disorder.

The Board found that VA properly reduced the evaluation assigned to the veteran's left knee disability from 20% to 0%, effective March 1, 1996.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen a claim for bursitis of both shoulders. The rating for arthritis due to trauma of the left knee was maintained at 10%, while the rating for relaxed medial and collateral ligaments of the left knee remained at 30%.

The Board has determined that the veteran's arthritis of both knees did not exist during service or within one year after discharge, and is not related to his active service.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection of a right knee disorder and denied an increase in rating for bronchial asthma with allergic vasomotor rhinitis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service and thus denied all issues on appeal.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left knee disability and psychiatric disability were denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the prior rating decisions that rated the veteran's right knee arthritis as 20 or 30 percent disabling under arthritis Diagnostic Codes rather than as 30 or 40 percent disabling muscle group XI and XIV injury Diagnostic Codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee chondromalacia and left ear hearing loss from initial service connection, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.