Knee decisions — 2006

The Board has granted secondary service connection for the veteran's right knee and left ankle disabilities due to aggravation by his service-connected left knee disability. The case is remanded for further development related to SSA and U.S. Postal Service disability benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for thrombophlebitis of the left leg and chondromalacia of the left knee are denied as her conditions do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's right knee disability, status-post reconstructive surgery, as it is currently evaluated at 30 percent.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran's current left knee arthritis, status post left total knee replacement, is causally related to his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine with radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities. The decision is therefore mixed.

The Board granted service connection for knee arthritis, cervical spine arthritis, and low back arthritis at L4-S1. Service connection was denied for left ankle arthritis.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the veteran's current right knee disability is related to service, including his in-service injuries. The case is REMANDED for additional medical examination and development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his knee disabilities and sinusitis are mixed, with some issues granted and others not. The low back disorder is found to be secondary to service-connected right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's seizure disorder and abdominal pain are not related to his military service or presumed exposure to herbicides. The right knee disorder is found to be aggravated by service, while the cervical spine disorder is not shown to have been incurred in service.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, and thus denied his claims for higher evaluations.

The Board has determined that an additional examination is needed and the case is remanded to the RO for further development.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings for Osgood-Schlatter disease of the knees and degenerative joint disease of the dorsal spine were denied. The RO found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected conditions, including a left transverse process fracture of L3-4, De Quervain's tenosynovitis of the right wrist, and status post anterior cruciate repair of the right knee.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee pain was not incurred or aggravated in his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's left knee disorder was granted service connection and assigned a 10 percent evaluation effective July 7, 1995. The decision also addressed instability of the left knee from November 3, 1997 to January 12, 2005.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chondromalacia of the left knee, hepatitis, residuals of a head injury (to include headaches), neck disorder, and back disorder. The evidence did not establish a nexus between any current disability and active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple joint pain, left knee disorder, skin disorder (folliculitis and furuncles of the groin), and headaches. The veteran's skin disorder is presumed to have been incurred in service due to his exposure to toxic fumes during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his right knee disability and service connection for a left biceps/forearm disorder, finding that the evidence did not support these claims.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the right knee, and right knee instability have all been granted with a 10% disability rating. The issue of tinnitus has been stayed due to court precedent.