Knee decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee and low back disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability, warranting compensation for these conditions.

The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for the left knee disorder since May 1, 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability warrants a 20 percent evaluation, effective from June 1998.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder, a left shoulder disorder, chronic low back pain, and Klinefelter's Syndrome as not well grounded. The claimant was also denied a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right and left knee disabilities do not warrant increased ratings as they are currently rated.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of one or both feet, hands, vision, or ankylosis of knees or hips. Therefore, the criteria for financial assistance in purchasing a vehicle with special adaptive equipment are not met.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for postoperative residuals, right knee semilunar cartilage. The appeal is granted on this basis.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for left knee strain and granted service connection for a heart disorder. The effective date is not specified.

The Board dismissed the appeals as there was no timely substantive appeal filed with respect to the issues of reopening a claim for service connection and entitlement to service connection.

The veteran's service-connected low back injury is rated at a 40 percent evaluation, effective November 2, 1994. The evaluations for the left knee and foreign object removed from the left foot remain unchanged.

The RO denied the veteran's claim to reopen his right knee disability, finding no new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right knee condition is related to an injury he sustained during service, and thus grants service connection for a right knee disability.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right knee instability and degenerative joint disease, finding that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these disabilities.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's right knee disability prior to February 26, 2001 and a 30 percent rating from that date forward.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that they did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee and hip disabilities, finding that the veteran's flatfeet caused biomechanical stress leading to arthritis in his knees and hips.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee injury, post-operative, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's bilateral knee disorder was incurred during active service and is granted service connection.

The veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees were denied as a matter of law due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.