Knee decisions — 2006

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee scar, post excision of left knee ganglion cyst, and arthritis of the left thumb. However, no compensable ratings have been assigned as the evidence does not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and need for additional evidence.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's right knee arthritis, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's right knee disability beginning August 12, 2005. The previous rating of 10 percent was increased.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and a back disability, finding no current disabilities attributable to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder and bronchitis were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board found no credible supporting evidence of the stressors used to support the current diagnosis of PTSD, and thus denied service connection for PTSD. The claims for right knee disability and left knee disability are pending.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have a left knee disability or skin disorder of the feet incurred in service and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing the veteran with VA examinations to determine the etiology of his hypertension, bilateral knee disorders, and stroke.

The veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome have been denied increased ratings.,Compensable ratings for scars on the veteran's lower extremities resulting from surgery are also denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for instability of the right knee and residuals of traumatic arthritis of the right knee, both rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that a rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability prior to October 15, 2004 is not warranted. From October 15, 2004 onwards, a rating in excess of 20 percent is also not warranted.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right knee did not warrant a higher initial rating than 10 percent, as his range of motion was within compensable limits under VA rating criteria.

The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine and right knee with a torn posterior medial meniscus, both secondary to bilateral pes planus. The effective date for these grants is November 29, 2003.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current left knee disability and her non-toxic multinodular goiter is not service-connected. The claims for increased ratings of right ankle strain and thoracic spine injury with traumatic degenerative changes are also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee and lumbar spine disorders are related to his service-connected left knee disorder, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any current disabilities manifested by headaches, a low back disability, or a neurological disorder of the left upper extremity. The veteran's service-connected cervical spine condition is not considered to be related to his claimed neurological disorder of the left upper extremity.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection for various disabilities, including a nasal fracture, right knee disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability, thoracic spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and left shoulder impingement syndrome.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and shoulder conditions, both claimed as secondary to a service-connected back and hip condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee pain, right ankle pain, and left ankle strain due to a lack of diagnosed disabilities. The VA examinations did not find any current conditions related to these issues.