Knee decisions — 2004

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome with underlying chondromalacia, including whether it is related to a November 1998 injury during INACTD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected postoperative residuals of medial meniscectomy, right knee, with arthritis, status post arthroplasty, warrants a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims of service connection for a left ankle disability, low back disability, and left knee disability. As such, these claims remain denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to obtain medical records and provide proper VCAA notice.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether any current right knee disability is related to an injury in service. A VA examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the case to schedule a video conference hearing due to the veteran's request for such, and the failure to schedule it.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee condition and nerve damage to the right leg were not incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations, finding no evidence linking his disabilities to service or meeting the criteria for higher ratings. The claims of reopening for hypertension and sinusitis were also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board granted the veteran's claim, assigning a combined rating of 20 percent for his service-connected right knee disorder based on instability and arthritis with painful motion.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's degenerative joint disease, left knee and postoperative total knee replacement as secondary to his already service-connected residuals of a perforating gunshot wound right leg with muscle injury Group XI and XII, and residuals, fracture, right fibula, with degenerative joint disease right knee.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee disorder and scoliosis as secondary to his service-connected traumatic arthritis of the left knee. The current evaluations for these conditions are already in place.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for prostatitis, post-operative right inguinal hernia, and patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left knee with degenerative joint disease.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the veteran's knee disabilities and subcutaneous mass. The evaluation of each condition will be reconsidered based on all evidence.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for chondromalacia of the right knee with traumatic arthritis, effective from the date of the original grant of service connection. The claim for residuals of an injury to the left little finger remains pending as no evidence linking it to service was provided.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as his request for an extension of a temporary total evaluation due to lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease at L4 with degenerative arthritis. The decision is final because he did not appeal the initial denial in 1965.

The Board granted increased evaluations for residuals of left knee surgery and arthritis of the right knee, but denied entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for mytoplasia and dysplasia.

The Board found that the appellant's current right knee and right hip disabilities were not incurred in service or due to a service-connected condition. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions are unrelated to his service-connected residuals of right ankle dislocation.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's residuals of arthrotomy of the left knee with degenerative joint disease, effective from June 1999. The issue of increased rating for low back strain is pending and will be remanded to obtain a new VA spine examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected right knee disability, currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling.

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