Knee decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that there is no medical evidence linking the veteran's current left knee condition to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran requested to withdraw her appeal regarding the denial of service connection for a right knee disorder due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE). As a result, the Board dismissed her appeal.

The veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is found to be aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for further development and consideration of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for residuals of a right knee injury.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left below-the-knee amputation was caused by VA medical treatment and falls under the direct service connection theory. The decision grants entitlement to VA disability compensation.

The Board has remanded the case due to need for additional development, including a new VA examination and obtaining medical records.

The Board has granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a right thigh injury, effective October 7, 1999. The issues related to his right knee and foot disabilities have not yet been fully addressed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbrosacral and right knee disabilities, as well as service connection for a left knee disability. The RO had previously granted service connection and initial ratings for these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no current diagnosed hip condition. The left knee claim remains in appellate status due to a lack of a Statement of the Case.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed knee and ankle disorders are not service-connected, with no presumption of service connection due to exposure or other factors.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for an increased rating for a left knee scar, service connection for arthritis of the left knee, and a higher rating for PTSD. The RO is instructed to obtain all outstanding VA medical records, obtain copies of SSA disability benefits decision and underlying medical records, provide due process notice, schedule a VA examination, and issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).

The veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent, and his left knee disability with arthritis and mild instability is rated at 10 percent.,The veteran's left knee disability warrants a separate 10 percent rating for osteoarthritis. However, the moderate instability does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

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

The case is being remanded for further development, including consideration of an extraschedular rating for the left knee and a medical opinion regarding service connection for fibromyalgia.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative arthritis of the right knee and instability of the right knee, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for proper VCAA notice and a VA medical examination. The case will be readjudicated after these steps are taken.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for clarification of the severity of his knee disabilities, including whether he experiences recurrent subluxation or lateral instability.

The Board found that the veteran's current knee and ankle disabilities are not causally related to his active service or any incident therein.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected lateral meniscectomy, right knee, with anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency, as he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Board is remanding the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records and a VA medical opinion to address whether the veteran's esophageal cancer was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.