Knee decisions — 2002

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence of a nexus between her current conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied increased evaluations for the veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board found that the veteran did not sustain any additional disability of the left knee as a result of VA surgical treatment in 1985, and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, headaches, and right thumb, 3rd and 5th fingers disability. The Board also found that there is no evidence of a current right shoulder disability or headache disorder within one year of discharge.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for left hip arthritis as secondary to his service-connected left fibula/knee disability and denied ratings in excess of 30 percent for left knee subluxation/instability and 10 percent for left knee arthritis.

The Board found that the veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury and left knee disability. As such, these claims remain denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current right knee disorder was first manifested during his period of service and granted service connection for a chronic right knee disorder.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's right knee osteochondritis dissecans and a 20 percent rating for his left knee osteochondritis dissecans, effective from November 1999.

The veteran's psoriatic arthritis and lumbosacral strain with herniated nucleus pulposus are rated at the maximum disability levels based on their severity.

The Board denied reopening the claim for a left knee disability and denied entitlement to an increased rating for cervical spine arthritis.

The veteran's bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome, which was first diagnosed during service, is found to be related to his military service and thus granted service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability, headaches, blackouts and blurred vision, achy joints, and stuttering. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection based on direct service incurrence or secondary to an already service-connected condition.

The veteran's right knee has intermittent locking and instability, limiting extension to 10 degrees during flare-ups of pain. He is granted a 40 percent rating for postoperative meniscectomy with rotary instability of the right knee. The veteran also has moderate osteoarthritis in his right first toe, which warrants an initial 10 percent rating.

The Board found no chronic knee, ankle, leg/shin, or hearing loss disability related to service and denied the veteran's claims.

The Board has determined that no new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and bilateral knees (claimed as back and bilateral knee disability), and psoriasis. The RO previously denied these claims in January 1998 without a timely appeal.

The Board granted an increased rating of 10 percent for the veteran's stress fracture, left tibia, with patellofemoral syndrome. The right knee claim was denied as there is no evidence to support a finding that the current patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The VA determined that the veteran's right knee disability does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, effective December 2, 1994.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, bilateral knee degenerative joint disease, and a history of otitis externa. Service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability and PTSD, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim of bilateral knee disability.

The veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral knee osteoarthritis was denied as there is no evidence of limitation of motion or other functional impairment.