Knee decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sterility, left knee injury, and spine disabilities. The denial of service connection was based on a presumption of herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and eligibility for dependent's educational assistance under Chapter 35, Title 38 United States Code.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's post-operative residuals of the left knee, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a left knee disability. The claim of an ear injury is pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining x-rays of the left knee and bilateral ankles taken at VAMC Topeka in April 2002. The veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and a left knee disorder are pending.

The veteran is seeking service connection for arthritis of the right knee, which he claims was present at entry into military service and worsened during active duty. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address these issues.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current left knee condition to his service or service-connected right knee injury, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected post-operative residuals of the right and left knees do not warrant an evaluation in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent ratings.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a stomach ulcer and granted a 10 percent rating for instability of the right knee. The veteran's service-connected instability of the right knee is productive of moderate impairment.

The veteran's right knee disability, including traumatic arthritis and meniscus tear, is currently rated at 10 percent. The RO has remanded the case for further development to determine if additional functional impairment due to pain should be considered in assigning a higher rating.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of applicable regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hysterectomy, degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, and left leg and left knee disability. The Board found that the veteran did not have a hysterectomy attributable to her military service.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of her claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA medical examination and obtaining updated treatment records.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee injury did not occur in service and was not aggravated by service, leading to a denial of his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review due to new evidence submitted by the veteran, including VA examination reports and private medical records. The issues on appeal include service connection for a left ankle disorder secondary to service-connected fracture of the left patella with traumatic arthritis, as well as increased ratings for fractures of the left patella and elbow.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and review of his medical records.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected migraine headaches, residuals of a medial meniscectomy of the left knee, residuals of a fracture of the left fibula, residuals of a fracture of the right thumb, and residuals of a fracture of the left fourth finger. The claim for an increased rating for the appendectomy scar was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including providing the veteran with a comprehensive rating examination and obtaining updated medical records. The case will be readjudicated after these steps are completed.