Knee decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee instability and arthritis do not warrant higher initial ratings, as the maximum rating available for instability (30%) has already been assigned.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of both knees, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his period of active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and records to determine if the veteran's right knee replacement and right shoulder impingement syndrome are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee condition as secondary to the service-connected left ankle disability. The veteran's degenerative arthritis of the left ankle is also found to be related to his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a chronic sinus disorder, but did find service connection for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee with retropatellar click and patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee. The veteran's bilateral hand disorder was not found to be related to service. Cluster headaches were rated at 30% under old criteria, while the residual scar from appendectomy was rated at 10% under both old and amended skin disorders criteria.

The veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for albuminuria. The Board dismissed this appeal as a result.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, right knee and leg disorders, left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The reasons are that there is no evidence of these conditions during service or a link to service.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical disc herniation with spondylosis and radiculopathy, and degenerative arthritis of the left knee. The VA found that the veteran's conditions did not warrant a higher rating based on current medical evidence.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee conditions were denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current level of disability.

The VA determined that the veteran's combined disability rating of 50 percent does not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, as none of them are rated at least 40 percent disabling and do not combine to reach 70 percent.

The Board denied service connection for chronic acquired bilateral knee disorders, finding that the preexisting conditions were not aggravated by active service and that there was no evidence of a nexus to service.

The veteran's claim for an increased initial evaluation for osteoarthritis of the left knee rated at 10 percent prior to March 4, 2004 and 30 percent thereafter has been denied.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected right knee disability was denied due to her failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected knee disabilities.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings have been granted, with the effective date being determined by the RO.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to incomplete records and the need for further development, including obtaining medical records from various providers and scheduling an examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for blurred vision and an increased evaluation for his left knee disability, finding no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The TDIU claim was also denied due to a lack of VA examination addressing employability.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for chronic cough/bronchitis, but not for right shoulder or right knee disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right and left knee disabilities, a heart condition (intermittent sinus tachycardia), a left arm disorder, hemorrhoids, shin splints of both legs, and bronchial asthma. The decision also noted that no cardiovascular disease was found during service or subsequent examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been received.