Knee decisions — 2003

The Board denied secondary service connection for left knee, right leg, and right shoulder disabilities. The right knee disability was granted a 10 percent rating.

The veteran's left knee disability was not caused by the VA surgery in November 1976, but rather resulted from pre-existing injuries. The surgery did improve his knee function temporarily, but could not prevent eventual deterioration.

The Board has denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and a right knee disability. The veteran's claim for the right knee disability was previously denied in February 1996, and no new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen this claim.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, and his left index finger injury is not compensable.

The Board has found that the veteran's right knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected left knee replacement, warranting secondary service connection.

The veteran's claim for service connection for joint pain secondary to her service-connected cervical diskectomy was denied. The veteran's claims for increased ratings for traumatic arthritis of the left knee and tendinitis of both shoulders were also denied.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities were evaluated based on the criteria provided in the rating schedule for musculoskeletal system disorders. His left wrist strain residuals including tendonitis are currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and his right wrist tendonitis is also rated as 10 percent disabling. The other conditions have been appropriately evaluated.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his knee conditions.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and initial compensable evaluations were denied. The RO found that the veteran's knee disabilities did not meet criteria for higher ratings, tinea versicolor was currently asymptomatic, and pseudofolliculitis barbae met criteria for a compensable evaluation from February 4, 2003.

The veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the left knee disability is rated as 20 percent disabling.,Both conditions are currently productive of no more than slight impairment.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected left knee disability, as the evidence did not show that his current symptomatology more closely approximated the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's claims for an increased rating for arthritis of the left knee and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities are being remanded by the Board.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder as secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability, finding that there was no evidence of direct causation or aggravation.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral knee disability had its onset in service and is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a left ankle disorder will be addressed in a separate decision.

The veteran's claims of service connection for left knee and stomach disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and left hip disabilities were denied. The RO confirmed the existing evaluations of 30 percent for postoperative right knee impairment with a fixed patella, 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left hip from September 1992.

The Board has determined that the veteran's arthritis of the knees and spine was not incurred in or related to his military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right and left knee replacements and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, do not render him individually unemployable.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder, stomach disorder (including gastritis), and left knee disorder were denied. His claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.