Knee decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities of athletes foot, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, or left elbow disorder. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee disability is being remanded to the RO for further evaluation and clarification of his current level of disability.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his agreement with the assigned ratings and his application for VA vocational rehabilitation benefits.

The Board finds that the veteran's right knee disability is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right heel disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability is service-connected, as it was incurred during active duty.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic left knee disability related to service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating and an earlier effective date for the 40 percent rating for his left knee disability were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor is it proximately due to his service-connected left knee disorder. The claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's lumbar paravertebral myositis is rated at 20 percent prior to November 18, 2005, and at 40 percent thereafter. The veteran's psoriatic arthritis of the right knee and neuritis of the sciatic nerve are both rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the July 1999 denial of service connection for a right knee disorder is not final, and thus the original claim remains pending. The veteran's left knee disability, characterized as degenerative joint disease, meets the criteria for a 10 percent rating under DC 5260. Additionally, the veteran's residuals of a left knee injury, including atrophy, removal or deterioration of a portion of the lateral and posterior menisci, meet the criteria for a separate 10 percent rating under DC 5258.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to determine if the veteran's current right shoulder, elbow, knee, and lumbar spine disabilities are related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a right knee injury, finding that the new evidence submitted was not material and did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for myasthenia gravis, bilateral hearing loss, and a left knee disability. The claim for tinnitus was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right knee disability related to her service-connected left knee disability or any other service-connected condition. The veteran also does not have a left ankle disability that is related to active service.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing and will not make any determination on the merits of the claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for hearings before a Decision Review Officer and a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Fort Harrison, Montana.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a private hospital after September 20, 2004, due to lack of prior authorization and because VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board denied a higher rating for osteoarthritis of the right knee, finding that the veteran's symptoms did not warrant an increased evaluation.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for post-operative residuals of a partial right knee patellectomy, but further development is needed to determine if any current right knee disability had its onset in or was made permanently worse during active military service.