Knee decisions — 2005

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral degenerative joint disease of the knees is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and an examination.

The Board has granted separate 10 percent evaluations for the veteran's right knee cartilage disorder and degenerative joint disease prior to January 24, 1995.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted, with some issues receiving a 10% evaluation and others not. The decision is based on direct evidence of in-service injury and subsequent disability.

The veteran was granted service connection for a left knee injury with instability on February 11, 2004, and an initial rating of 20 percent.,An effective date prior to September 20, 1999, for the grant of service connection for patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied.

The Board has received a lay statement from the appellant's brother and is remanding the case to the RO for review of this new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional medical clarification regarding whether the veteran's right hip disability is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left knee and low back disorders have been denied. The right knee claim has been reopened, but the new evidence does not establish a chronic right knee disability since discharge from service.

The Board found that the veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims to reopen for right shoulder disorder and bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus, callosities and degenerative arthrosis. The veteran is also service-connected for hearing loss in the left ear, degenerative joint disease of the left ankle, degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, a bilateral knee disorder, and depression.

The veteran's initial ratings for cervical spine arthrosis, lumbar spine arthrosis, and right knee disability were granted. The right knee disability received a compensable rating of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left knee instability and arthritis, as well as an extension of a temporary total disability rating. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board affirmed the determination that the veteran's service-connected DJD of the right knee, status post arthroscopy with muscle atrophy, warrants a 30 percent evaluation. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for arthritis of the right knee based on painful motion.

The Board found that the veteran did not have arthritis or right knee until after service and does not have arthritis of the legs or knees as a result of a disease or injury in service or as a result of a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently suffer from left hip arthritis or left knee arthritis, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of her right knee condition. The issue remains whether she is entitled to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected right knee disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed bilateral knee, hip, and shoulder disorders did not have their onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service. The preponderance of evidence is against his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right hip replacement was caused by his service-connected left knee disorder. The rating for post-traumatic arthritis of the left knee is granted at a 60 percent evaluation, and the hearing loss condition does not warrant an increased rating.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for traumatic bulging disc, L5-S1. The veteran's chronic tendinitis of the knees was found to warrant a noncompensable rating.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hip and knee disabilities, along with his dementia, contributed to his death by causing significant impairment in his ability to care for himself.

The veteran's right and left knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, reflecting the severity of his symptoms.