Knee decisions — 2004

The Board found no current left knee disability and concluded that the veteran's left knee injury was not incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records, and the veteran's claim for service connection is not yet decided.

The Board found no evidence of a current left knee disability and denied service connection for the veteran's claimed left knee disability. The right knee issue remains pending as there are incomplete records from Dr. Bassett.

The veteran's claim for a temporary total disability evaluation due to left knee arthroscopy is denied as the convalescence period was less than one month. The claim for increased ratings for instability, flexion limitation, and symptomatic residuals of removal of semilunar cartilage is granted with separate 10% evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for further examination of the veteran's right knee. The veteran claims his service-connected left leg amputation caused arthritis in his right knee.

The veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining more recent records of his treatment and employment status.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO via the AMC for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The issues on appeal are related to his right knee osteoarthritis and left knee degenerative joint disease (DJD).

The VA denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of both knees, as the evidence did not show that either knee met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed left knee and left ankle disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, and therefore denied both issues.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and ankle disabilities due to new evidence submitted since the prior final decision. The VA medical expert opinion supports a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected anxiety reaction and bilateral knee disabilities do not warrant increased ratings as they are currently rated at 30 percent for anxiety reaction and 10 percent each for left and right knee disabilities.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for right knee disability and granted it. The decision also addressed his claim of service connection for depression, which was related to a June 1962 in-service injury.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to potential VCAA notice defects and the need for additional VA examination.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected postoperative left knee total replacement is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examination.

The Board has granted increased ratings of 30% for left knee instability and left knee degenerative joint disease, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for compliance with VCAA requirements and further development of evidence, including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the reductions of ratings for residuals of a right knee injury and residuals of a right ankle sprain from 20% to 10% are appropriate under the circumstances, as the veteran's conditions have improved since the initial evaluations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee and left hip disabilities are not supported by the evidence of record, and therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the rating for the veteran's left knee disability from 20 percent to 10 percent was not proper, and restoration of a 20 percent rating is warranted. However, the case is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The veteran's total combined disability evaluation remains at 50 percent after a new rating of 10 percent for hypertensive vascular disease, as the Combined Ratings Table results in a 53 percent and then rounds down to 50 percent.