Knee decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a right knee disorder, or tinnitus. The claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed left and right knee disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during active duty or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence of chronicity after discharge.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current right wrist condition and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for right knee disability as secondary to a gunshot wound should be June 20, 1986. The veteran's claim was not adequately addressed and notified in prior decisions.

The Board granted increased ratings of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, residuals of right knee surgery with insufficient ligament, and residuals of right wrist injury with surgery and arthritic change.

The Board has determined that the evidence submitted subsequent to the November 1998 denial is not new and material, thus denying the reopening of the claim for service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for mixed bipolar disorder as secondary to her service-connected left knee disability. The issue of an increased evaluation for her left knee disability remains pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and a back disability, finding no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnoses and his period of active duty.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and low back disorder are denied. The claim for service connection of the left knee disorder is not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for the right knee disorder is also denied. A low back disorder claim remains pending as further evaluation is required.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, as well as his lumbar spine disability, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed low back and left knee disabilities.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal, leaving no issues for the Board to consider.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right knee disability and remanded it to the RO. The veteran's left knee disability, arthritis, and total knee replacement are rated at 30 percent disabling since March 12, 1998. His right wrist disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board found no evidence of subluxation or instability in either knee, and concluded that the veteran's disability is not severe enough to warrant a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes. The RO assigned a separate 10 percent rating for each knee as they are service-connected conditions.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of a chronic acquired left knee disorder, as new and material evidence has been submitted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected psoriasis aggravates his above-the-knee left leg amputation, warranting service connection for this increase in severity. The veteran is also eligible for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance due to his service-connected loss of use of one foot.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for temporary total disability ratings beyond August 31, 2001 and September 30, 2002 due to post-operative chondromalacia of his right and left knees, respectively. The appeals were decided on the merits as service connection was established directly.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as the issue had not been raised in prior decisions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic knee disability, finding that there is no current disability and no causal link to symptoms shown in service.