Knee decisions — 2004

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature of his hip disability and its relationship to his right knee disorder.

The Board denied an increase in the rating for numbness, right knee, currently evaluated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for additional medical development. The veteran's appeal is currently in a pending status.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for left 4th toe deviation and to reopen his claim of service connection for right knee disability. The decision also notes that further development is needed, including a new examination to evaluate the right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee and left hip disabilities on a secondary basis to the veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VCAA notice and need for additional medical examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding no evidence of chronic right knee disability during or within one year after service discharge and no causal nexus between active duty service and any current right knee condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from SSA and providing the veteran with a VA examination to determine if his current bilateral knee disability is related to service or his service-connected low back disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of traumatic arthritis of the right knee, finding that no new evidence was submitted to warrant a change in the effective date.

The Board denied all service connection claims, including those for skin disorders and other conditions.

The veteran's right knee impairment with instability and total knee replacement is rated at 30 percent, which the Board finds adequate. The low back disorder is not service-connected as secondary to his right knee disability. Service connection for a left leg disorder remains unresolved.

The veteran's right knee disability, including partial medial and lateral meniscectomy and ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5257. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The veteran's left knee disability, including partial medial and lateral meniscectomies and repair of the anterior cruciate ligament, is also rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5257. The Board concludes that there is no basis for an increased evaluation.,Regarding arthritis of the left knee with degenerative changes, the evidence does not meet the criteria for a separate compensable evaluation.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee disability and a compensable evaluation for his abdominal surgery residuals. The veteran is presumed to be seeking the highest possible rating available under the rating schedule for bronchial asthma, which continues as part of the appeal.

The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for the veteran's right knee disability and found that he is entitled to a compensable evaluation (30 percent) for his callouses of the hands.

The veteran is seeking service connection for the residuals of an injury to his knees, which he claims occurred during a helicopter accident in service. The RO has not obtained all relevant medical records and needs to schedule the veteran for a VA examination to determine if any current knee issues are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for right knee disorder, left ankle disorder, flat feet, athlete's foot, and blood clot disorder. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for neck and lower back disorders is also remanded due to a lack of evidence showing causation.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee, hip, and foot nerve conditions as secondary to her service-connected musculoskeletal low back condition are being remanded due to inconsistencies in the examination reports.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The veteran's claims of increased rating for right knee injury and reopening service connection for left knee and leg disabilities are pending.

The veteran seeks service connection for a right knee disability. He asserts that he was shot in the right knee while on a solitary assignment outside of an encampment in Guam in June 1946, but did not report or receive treatment for it. The claims file indicates no available service medical records and post-service x-rays show degenerative joint disease with metallic foreign bodies identified as bullet fragments.