Knee decisions — 2003

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic prostatitis, arthritis of the left knee, left arm dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and contact dermatitis. The denial is based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability and laryngeal cancer with loss of voice, finding that the veteran's current conditions are not causally related to his active service or any incident therein.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for disabilities of the back and knees, as these conditions did not develop during or as a result of military service.

The appellant's service-connected right hip and left knee disabilities do not render him unemployable due to their severity alone, as he has other nonservice-connected conditions that significantly affect his employability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left and right knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for chondromalacia of the left knee with arthritic changes, effective from September 1997. The veteran's service connection claims for a back injury and a neck condition are denied.

The veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, effective July 23, 1998. His right knee disability remains at 40 percent. The veteran has indicated satisfaction with the current ratings for his left knee.

The Board denied service connection for dental trauma, left eye macular degeneration, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and bilateral knee disorder. The veteran's psoriatic arthritis was also not granted as service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right Achilles tendonitis, status post gunshot wound of the left foot with secondary mild hammertoe deformity of the second phalanx, and status post arthroscopic excision of a joint mouse of the left knee.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and residuals of trench mouth due to lack of available service medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right lower extremity disability, thoracic spine disability, lumbar spine disability, multiple joint or systemic arthritis or arthritic like conditions, cervical spine disability, upper extremities disability, allodynia, osteopenia and osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, connective tissue disease, left knee disability, respiratory disorder, gastrointestinal disability, glaucoma, meibomian cystic infection of the left upper eyelid, blepharitis and chalazion, and urinary tract infections.

The Board found that the veteran's service connection claims for right leg and knee conditions, as well as his claim for tonsil cancer secondary to Agent Orange exposure, were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims of service connection for joint pain, a skin rash, memory loss and headaches due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right ankle and right knee disorders are related to service, granting his claims for these conditions.

The veteran's service-connected right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and his service-connected right knee and left knee disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The Board has determined that these ratings are appropriate.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee conditions are denied as there is no evidence of more than severe recurrent subluxation and lateral instability, or functional loss due to arthritis in either knee.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral knee disability was not incurred or aggravated during active service and is not related to any in-service event, including a period of active duty for training. As such, the claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability is denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder, which was previously denied in December 1978. The appellant now seeks to establish service connection based on his current symptoms.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not warrant higher evaluations, as they were all rated at the minimum (10%) level under applicable VA regulations.

The Board finds that the veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities are at least as likely as not to have had their origins in service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.