Knee decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of both knees and a heart condition, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen these claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated medical records and a VA examination to assess his left knee disability.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected knee disorders were denied by the RO. The right knee was rated at 20% and the left knee at 10%. These decisions are not contested in this decision.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities and service connection for bilateral hearing loss were all granted. The effective date is not specified.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for the veteran's service-connected right knee, left knee, and finger disabilities. The claims were not remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to a lack of timely substantive appeal for an increased rating for the right knee. The claims for service connection for back and bilateral foot disabilities were not reopened as new and material evidence was not received.

The veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent disabling, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board found no evidence of a currently diagnosed bilateral knee disorder related to the veteran's periods of active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for low back and bilateral knee disorders, finding no evidence to support these conditions or their relationship to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right hip arthritis, right knee arthritis and right leg varicose veins as secondary to his service-connected shell fragment wound of the right thigh.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right knee disability and residuals of herniated nucleus pulposus at L3-L4 and L5-S1 were denied. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The veteran's service-connected right knee disorder and multiple scars of the face are currently rated at 10 percent, but do not warrant higher ratings based on current evidence.

The Board has remanded the case to ensure that it is developed and adjudicated in compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA) and its implementing regulations. The veteran's right knee disability will be evaluated based on all potentially relevant provisions of the rating schedule, including those concerning arthritis and instability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for his laceration scar of the left knee and service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

For the period from February 3, 2000 until February 11, 2002, the veteran's right knee disorder was productive of extension limited to 15 degrees with pain. For the period beginning on February 12, 2002, the right knee disorder has been productive of extension limited to 30 degrees.,The veteran's lumbar spine disorder is productive of flexion to 70 degrees and extension to 20 degrees.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection of his right knee injury, finding that there was no evidence linking any current disability to his military service.

The veteran's increased disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and his TDIU claim is still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for obtaining the veteran's service medical records and deferred further action on the claims until those records are obtained.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and needs further examination of the veteran's left knee disorder.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left wrist fracture, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome are being remanded to the RO for additional development.