Knee decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by military service and is not related to a service-connected scar disability of the right lower extremity.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and bilateral knee disability as secondary to service-connected ankle disabilities. The veteran's sinusitis is rated at 30 percent, effective from August 1999.

The Board found that the veteran's left thigh scar did not cause any functional impairment and denied an increased rating. The service connection claim for a left knee condition secondary to his scar was also denied as there is no evidence linking the knee disability to the scar.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, as his conditions do not result in loss of use of one or both feet.

The Board finds that the impairment resulting from the veteran's right knee strain with limitation of flexion warrants no higher than a 10 percent rating. Therefore, the claim must be denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current cardiovascular, low back, and left leg disabilities did not result from the October 10, 1991 TURP performed by VA. The additional disability was determined to be unrelated to the treatment provided.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right hip and right knee disabilities were denied. The RO found that the current evaluations did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for the right hip disability or in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability.

The Board has determined that arthritis of the left knee was incurred during service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and special monthly pension for aid and attendance. The veteran is still pending his appeal on these issues.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's right knee disability and assigned a separate evaluation for his traumatic arthritis of the right knee. The veteran's main issue was seeking a higher rating for his gunshot wound residuals, but the Board found no evidence of more than slight instability or malunion.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected residuals of a stomach resection and synovitis of the right knee, finding that the evidence does not support ratings higher than the current 40 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not proximately due to his service-connected postoperative residuals of osteochondroma of the right knee. The claim for an increased disability evaluation for the service-connected right knee disability was also denied.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for each of the veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral syndromes, finding that they are productive of moderate impairment.

The VA denied the claim that the veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death. The Board found no evidence linking any of the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his hearing loss and tinnitus, to his death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability and shin splints are not service-connected, as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury and for increased ratings for Reiter's syndrome with various manifestations, including genitourinary infections, bilateral iritis, aggravation of pes planus, arthritis of multiple joints, and ankle involvement. The decision also noted that the veteran's current left knee symptoms were not related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back, left ankle, and right elbow disorders.

The veteran's left knee internal derangement is rated as noncompensable, but his symptomatic left knee medial meniscus removal is rated at 10 percent. The decision grants the veteran a compensable rating for his service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the claim for service connection of a left ankle disorder. The veteran's current complaints of pain in both joints are attributed to injuries sustained during service, but no direct link is found between his current knee condition and those injuries.