Knee decisions — 2005

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and earlier effective dates were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a finding of lateral instability prior to March 31, 2000 or more than moderate lateral instability from that date onwards.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee, finding that it was not incurred during active duty and is not related to any incident during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a left knee disability that is directly related to his active military service. The VA examiner concluded that neither the veteran's service-connected right knee disability nor any other service-connected condition caused or aggravated his current left knee disability.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee scar, currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding no evidence of their onset during or as a result of military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee disability, which was previously denied in May 1997.

The Board has determined that the veteran's preexisting left knee disorder did not worsen during service and therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for his current condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a left patella tendon repair, currently rated as 30 percent disabling.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a neurological disorder of both legs and feet was granted. The claims for arthritis of both feet, ankles, knees, and legs and chronic bronchitis were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed knee and hip disorders are not shown to be due to any event or incident of his service, nor have they been caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's left knee disorder is rated at 10% due to pain and slight limitation of motion, but no additional rating can be granted under the current criteria.,For his chronic lumbar strain, he is currently rated at 10%, which includes consideration of degenerative changes confirmed by x-ray.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service records and medical records from VA facilities. The veteran is also required to provide any relevant evidence in her possession.

The veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including granuloma annulare, degenerative joint disease and impingement syndrome of the shoulders, causalgia and type I complex regional pain syndrome of the left knee and heel, as well as joint pain of the right ankle, right knee, and hips were denied. The claims were reopened on new evidence.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have a bilateral hip disability, a bilateral knee disability, a bilateral ankle disability, a thoracic spine disability, or a lumbar spine disability. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disorder is not service-connected, but his right knee disorder is aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) will be addressed by the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for multiple joint pain of the knees, hands, wrists and elbows, finding that there was no evidence linking these disabilities to service or an undiagnosed illness. The knee disability was diagnosed as chondromalacia patella, which is not related to service. The wrist, hand and elbow disabilities were not present in service or manifested to a degree of 10 percent or more after service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss in the left ear had its onset during service and granted service connection for this condition. The Board also found no current disability of the left knee or chronic low back disability, thus denying these claims.