Knee decisions — 2004

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have any residuals of a right knee injury or cold injury of the right great toe that are service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and a compensable rating for postoperative left inguinal hernia, finding no current evidence of such disabilities.

The Board has granted a 20 percent disability rating for each of the appellant's service-connected knee disorders, arthritis with patellar tendonitis and chondromalacia.

The veteran's claims for knee disorders, ankle disorder, heart disorder, and erectile dysfunction were granted based on direct service connection. Seasonal allergic rhinitis was not found to meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current left hip disorder or right knee disability related to service. The claim for secondary service connection for a right foot disability is also denied.

The VA has denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for his left knee, left ankle, and low back disabilities. The RO found that the current evaluations of 10 percent are appropriate based on the symptoms described.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, vitiligo, traumatic arthritis of the right knee, and lumbosacral strain. The decision did not address service connection theory or exposure basis.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to unclear opinions and need for clarification.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disorder warrants a 20 percent rating, effective May 9, 2002.

The Board denied service connection for right knee and low back disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed gunshot wounds and shell fragment wounds to his legs are not related to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left leg injury, finding no evidence of a current disability and noting that efforts to obtain additional service medical records were unsuccessful. The VA medical records from 2001 did not indicate any ongoing left leg or knee pain.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for internal derangement of the right knee and denied any increase in rating for traumatic arthritis of the right knee.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA Social and Industrial Survey to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to work.

The VA has granted a 20 percent disability rating for the veteran's right knee traumatic arthritis, effective from the date of the initial decision (October 2002).

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability is not related to his active duty service.,Both of the veteran's knee disabilities, including patellofemoral syndrome, are considered direct service-connected as they were present during his active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence of a cervical spine disorder related to service and insufficient evidence supporting higher disability ratings.

The veteran is seeking service connection for left knee disorder, claimed as secondary to tarsal tunnel syndrome and Morton's neuroma of the right foot post-operative. The case has been remanded due to need for additional evidence.

The veteran's right knee disorder, specifically the post-debridement of the right knee lateral meniscus and anterior fat pad, has been rated at 10 percent since August 1, 2001. The Board found that this rating adequately reflects his current level of disability.

The Board found that the veteran's current knee disability is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.