Knee decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, low back disability, right hip disability, and residuals of a tonsillectomy. The decision is based on the conclusion that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and ensuring all due process requirements are met.

The Board found no evidence of current left knee or skin disabilities and denied service connection for multiple joint arthritis, fibromyalgia, and myofascial pain syndrome.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hip, knee, and low back disorders, which he claims are secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of defective hearing in the right ear or a chronic right knee disorder that is related to service. The claims are therefore denied.

The veteran's claim for compensation benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for right thigh and knee conditions as a result of surgery performed at a VA facility in August 1993 is dismissed because the issue was resolved when service connection for lateral femoral cutaneous nerve damage and right knee pain, secondary to cervical spine arthritis, was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of left shoulder reconstructive surgery, but denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left foot and right knee disorders.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the appellant's claims for service connection for back and right knee injuries.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of a current condition related to military service.

The Board has ordered a VA examination to assess the current severity of the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, which is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The case will be remanded for further development and readjudication.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder, right knee injury residuals, and skin disorder. The ROIC previously denied these claims in February 2002.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's knee disabilities. The issues on appeal are whether service connection is warranted for a right knee disability as secondary to the left knee condition and whether an increased rating is warranted for the residuals of a total left knee replacement.

The Board found no service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board found that the new evidence submitted did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the veteran's claim, and thus, it was not material. As such, the appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for a right knee disability is denied.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral knee and foot disabilities. Based on all the evidence, a current bilateral knee disability is considered to have begun during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for dysthymia and found that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder began during active service. The other issues on appeal are remanded to obtain VA treatment records, conduct examinations, and determine appropriate ratings.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the spine, knees, and feet in January 2003 due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disability, manifested by limitation of motion and tenderness, warranted a 20 percent evaluation. The claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent was denied.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbosacral strain, bilateral knee arthralgia, and bilateral heel pain.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is no competent medical evidence indicating that his current left knee condition was caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.