Knee decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the ankles, knees, and shins. The veteran also had bilateral hearing loss evaluated by VA, but his claim was not granted as he did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions.

The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected conditions, and the service-connected conditions did not accelerate his death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right ankle and right knee disorders are not related to his service, including any in-service injuries or incidents.

The Board found that the veteran's current right knee disability is not related to service or an incident of service origin, nor due to aggravation of a preexisting condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including adjudicating the veteran's entitlement to a temporary 100 percent rating for convalescence following his June 2004 arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The claim will then be readjudicated.

The Board denied service connection for all four issues on appeal, finding that the veteran's current knee and foot disorders are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected neck strain with degenerative joint disease and narrowing, currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling, and left knee disability, currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for osteopenia and mild degenerative joint disease of the right knee and patellofemoral syndrome (claimed as right knee condition) and an increased evaluation for his left index finger. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected residual scar from a left femur fracture located over quadriceps, muscle group XIV warrants only a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's traumatic arthritis of the left knee warrants a 40 percent evaluation, effective from October 18, 2000.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have current disabilities for which service connection can be granted, as there is no evidence of chronic conditions or residuals from in-service injuries and illnesses.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if an increased rating is warranted for the veteran's service-connected left knee injury with traumatic arthritis.

The veteran's claim for service connection for right hand, knee, and leg disabilities is being remanded due to the unavailability of his service medical records. The RO must obtain all relevant medical evidence from VA facilities and the Army Hospital in Fort Lewis, Texas, and provide the veteran with a VA examination to determine if any current disability is related to injuries sustained during military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current left or right knee disability, nor do they have a current left or right shoulder disability. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher disability evaluation for his right ankle disability and service connection for residuals of left knee arthroscopy and lumbar paravertebral myositis.

The VA determined that the veteran's right knee condition, characterized by slight recurrent subluxation or lateral instability and limited range of motion, does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The VA has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 30 percent for status post patellectomy and 10 percent for arthritis.

The Board denied service connection for chondromalacia of the knees as there is no current diagnosis and the veteran did not provide any evidence to support his claim.

The VA has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating of his post-operative left knee injury, currently rated at 30 percent. The maximum schedular evaluation available under Diagnostic Code 5257 is granted.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for low back strain and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.