Knee decisions — 2004

The Board has granted service connection for a deviated nasal septum and reopened the veteran's claims for right knee, hearing loss, tinnitus, eye disability, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities based on new evidence submitted since the final denial in November 1987.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and outstanding medical records. The veteran's complete periods of active duty, inactive duty for training, and active duty for training with the Mississippi Army National Guard need to be verified. Additionally, VA must request all available medical records from the appropriate sources.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, with a combined rating of 40 percent effective April 2001. The evidence supports moderate disability pictures in both knees.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical evidence and assess the current severity of the veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The case will be reviewed again after this information is obtained.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a service-related right knee disability or left knee disability, and therefore denied both claims.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the extent of his left knee disability and determine if there are any new or aggravating conditions. The RO will then re-adjudicate the claim.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a skin condition, lymphatic filariasis, gastrointestinal disorder, numbness of the legs and arms, left knee disability, migraine headaches, and low back disability. The veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's right knee disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder does not warrant a higher disability evaluation, as it primarily manifests as instability causing falls and some pain and stiffness. The current 20% rating is appropriate based on moderate impairment.

The Board has restored service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee, left knee, left hand, and right hand due to conflicting evidence indicating that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and procedural issues.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the veteran with a VA examination to assess his right knee and left hand disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for his left knee disorder. The veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD, and there was no evidence supporting the occurrence of stressors that would support such a diagnosis. For the left knee disorder, while the veteran had some symptoms, the most recent examination showed full range of motion without significant instability or other disabling conditions.

The veteran's service-connected right knee disability is rated at 30% due to severe recurrent subluxation or lateral instability. The veteran's headaches are not considered a compensable rating under the applicable criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss of the right ear and PTSD, but denied service connection for other conditions. The effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is set at October 31, 2000.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to assess various disabilities.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between his current knee problems and his military service.

The Board denied increased ratings for right shoulder bursitis, right knee disability, left knee disability, and hypertension. The veteran's service-connected conditions are currently rated 20% for right shoulder bursitis, 10% each for right and left knee disabilities, and 10% for hypertension.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of service connection for residuals of a right knee injury. The veteran's current claim is not his first claim of entitlement to service connection for this condition, which was denied in April 1970. Further development is needed including obtaining medical records from various providers, Social Security Administration records, and determining the appropriate representative.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right knee disabilities are being remanded due to procedural defects in notification and development of evidence.