Knee decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, migraine headaches, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Board found that these conditions did not manifest during or as a result of his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and arranging for a VA orthopedic examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various hand, neck, low back, right knee, and right ankle disabilities have been denied. The Board found no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative knee disorders, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a right knee disability or residuals of fracture of the right thumb, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The VA has determined that the veteran's left knee DJD, status post semilunar cartilage removal, does not warrant a higher rating due to the current level of disability and functional impairment.

The Board has remanded the case for further investigation and evidence collection regarding the appellant's service connection claims, including verification of his enrollment in a Senior ROTC program and any periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty training (INACDUTRA).

The veteran's claims for service connection for tendonitis of the left knee and depression have not been reopened, while her claim for a cervical spine condition has been reopened. The Board is unable to determine if she currently suffers from tinnitus.

The Board denied increased evaluations for the veteran's right knee varus deformity and right knee degenerative joint disease, finding that the current ratings adequately reflect his disability picture.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected low back disorder, left shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right femur fracture, and left femur fracture. The neuropathy of the lower right leg was also not granted a separate evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current left knee, low back, bilateral hip, or arthritis disorder that is related to his service-connected right knee subluxation with chondromalacia. The evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed back condition, knee condition, and peripheral neuropathy are not related to his military service.

The veteran is seeking service connection for left knee and left ankle disabilities, claimed as secondary to his service-connected chronic lumbar syndrome with degenerative disc disease. The Board has determined that additional development is needed before a decision can be made.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches and right knee disability, but granted a 20 percent rating for her right knee disability. The claim for seborrheic dermatitis remains pending.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for arthritis of the right knee and tinea cruris, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current symptomatology.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no competent clinical evidence of current disabilities or a causal relationship to his active service.

The Board found that the veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his period of active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the veteran separate 30 percent evaluations for instability of both knees, in addition to the currently assigned 10 percent ratings for limitation of motion. The current evaluations are considered adequate as they account for functional impairment due to pain and weakness.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right knee and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that they do not warrant a higher rating based on the current evidence of record.