Knee decisions — 2006

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a partial medial meniscectomy right knee, degenerative disc disease cervical spine, and a headache disorder. The veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, given his educational background and occupational experience.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee and a rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia patella of the right knee, finding no evidence of current disability or aggravation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed left and right knee disorders are not related to her military service, and thus denied these claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including obtaining medical records and determining the current severity of his left knee disability. The case will be returned to the Board for readjudication.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings for his chronic sinusitis, right knee laxity and degenerative joint disease, or left ankle disability.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hip and knee disorders, as there was insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities meeting the criteria for higher ratings or service connection.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is being remanded due to the intertwined nature with his increased left knee rating claim. His new claim of an increased left knee rating is also pending.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and private treatment records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, left knee disability, facial scars, and head trauma with headaches and blurred vision.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and a new examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected knee disabilities.

The veteran seeks service connection for his current left knee degenerative joint disease, which he claims is related to a car accident in-service. The case is being remanded for further development including obtaining records from Kirkland Air Force Base and scheduling the veteran for an examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical expenses on May 25, 2004 was denied because VA facilities were feasibly available to provide the necessary care.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for her right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support ratings higher than those currently assigned.

The veteran's right knee strain has been rated at 40 percent since February 7, 2006. The rating for the degenerative joint disease of the right knee remains at 40 percent.,The lumbar strain with spurring is currently rated at 40 percent from February 7, 2006 to the present.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right thumb disability, residuals of a right fifth metatarsal fracture, back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability are all denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 26, 2005, for an award of disability compensation based on direct service connection for residuals of status post arthroscopic allograft reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament and partial lateral meniscectomy of the left knee. The Board also denied his claim for a higher evaluation for his left knee disability.

The veteran's service-connected postoperative residuals of a left knee meniscectomy are productive of no more than moderate impairment, warranting an evaluation of 20 percent.