Knee decisions — 2006

The veteran's claim for service connection for gum disease was denied as periodontitis is not a disability for which VA compensation may be awarded.,For the period of July 1, 2001, to September 6, 2005, the veteran's right knee disability has been rated at 10 percent based on arthritis with minimal limitation of motion.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the veteran with a VA examination to assess his service-connected granuloma, right lung, as well as any current knee, hand, and back disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disorder warrants a 10% rating, effective January 2003. The earlier effective date claim is also granted.

The Board denied service connection for left wrist condition, bilateral knee conditions (left elbow), and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's income was also found to be excessive for purposes of entitlement to VA pension benefits.

The Board has granted a 40 percent evaluation for chronic lumbar sprain effective July 15, 2006. The veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic cervical sprain and left knee medial meniscus tear and anterior cruciate ligament tear are denied.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected right knee disability and depressive disorder, effective from March 9, 2004 to September 22, 2004. The temporary total evaluation for convalescence following surgery is also granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral flatfeet, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and bilateral knee injury. The claim for bilateral flatfeet was reopened but not substantiated on its merits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability is not related to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and his right knee arthritis does not warrant an increased evaluation. The veteran's service-connected disorders do not render him unemployable.

The Board found no current right knee disorder or left knee arthritis causally related to service, and denied the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for the residuals of a right knee sprain and secondary service connection for a low back strain as claimed, finding no medical evidence linking current disabilities to military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for postoperative residuals of right knee DJD, and left knee DJD due to inadequate examination and missing records.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and did not grant an increased rating for the veteran's post-operative chondromalacia of the left knee. The veteran was awarded a 20% disability rating for his left knee condition, but this decision is now being reviewed.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's left knee disability, finding that post-operative residuals of a medial meniscus tear do not warrant more than a 10 percent evaluation.

The RO granted service connection for right knee injuries and degenerative joint disease, but denied higher initial evaluations. The RO assigned a separate 30% evaluation for instability of the right knee and a 10% evaluation for degenerative joint disease.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus with joint disease and left side stomach pain. However, the claims for other conditions have not met the threshold requirement of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, finding no current disabilities or objective evidence of chronicity.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, right hand disability, increased ratings for chondromalacia of the right knee and tendonitis of the right wrist. The claim to reopen her back disability was granted but she is still not entitled to service connection for that condition.

The veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the issues of service connection for bilateral knee condition and service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for any of his claimed conditions, as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including avascular necrosis of the hips and knees, a left knee disorder, low back disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral foot blisters. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.