Knee decisions — 2006

The veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right knee disability was dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board finds no new evidence that would support reopening the claim of service connection for hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral internal knee derangement and knee strain. The appeals for cervical spine disability, fibrocystic breast disease, and hearing loss disability have been withdrawn by the veteran's authorized representative.

The Board found no evidence of a diagnosed chronic bilateral knee disorder during active duty service, and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability, characterized by mild instability, does not warrant a rating higher than the current 10 percent assigned.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient medical evidence to decide whether the veteran is permanently and totally disabled from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment by reason of his service-connected left knee and right knee disabilities, and whether locomotion would be precluded without use of a left knee brace or without the use of a left knee brace and a cane.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected knee conditions and denied her petition to reopen her claim of service connection for bilateral pes planus. The RO granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, but found that it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board found no evidence of a wrist disability and denied the veteran's claim for service connection. The remaining issues on appeal are pending, but will be deferred until completion of the requested medical examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee arthritis is as likely as not related to his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues related to service connection and evaluations of prostatitis, right knee disability, and chondromalacia of the left knee.

The veteran's left total knee replacement received a temporary 100% rating from February 28, 2005 to April 30, 2006. The Board has granted an additional month of this rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, hearing loss of the left ear, major depressive disorder with alcohol abuse in remission, bilateral tarsometatarsal degenerative arthrosis, left acromioclavicular joint degenerative changes (osteoarthritis), status post non-displaced tibial plateau fracture of the left knee, and arthritic changes of the cervical spine.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for instability of the right knee with derangement of lateral cartilage.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for the veteran's surgical scars of the right knee, effective from December 18, 1998. The veteran's service-connected post-operative residuals of medial meniscectomy and degenerative joint disease of the right knee are not at issue in this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of both knees and left knee degenerative joint disease, as well as his claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for VA treatment causing a left knee disorder. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service or VA treatment.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, cervical spine, low back, and left shoulder disabilities as secondary to a service-connected disability. However, the evidence does not support a finding of current diagnoses or a link between these conditions and active service or a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the knees and lumbar spine disability with arthritis were not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there was no evidence showing such conditions during service. The veteran's current disabilities are presumed to be related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a stomach disorder, and joint aches due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, but denied service connection for arthritis of the knees and hands.