Knee decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, high cholesterol, and increased ratings for arthritis of the shoulder, knee, and ankle were denied. The RO found that these conditions are not related to service or military noise exposure.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's osteoarthritis of the left knee warrants a 10 percent rating, effective from August 2001.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling the veteran for a VA examination to assess his current disability levels.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation of otitis media, service connection for right leg disorder, left leg disorder, back disorder, neck disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or a nexus to service.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected meniscectomy of the right knee with traumatic osteoarthritis is denied as there is no evidence that warrants a rating higher than the current 10 percent.

The veteran's left knee disability is productive of a restriction of extension to 10 degrees when pain is considered, with noncompensable limitation of flexion. The VA has granted a 10 percent evaluation for this condition.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his knee and elbow conditions have been denied. The highest rating available under the applicable diagnostic codes has not been met.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to unclear disagreement and a grant of earlier effective dates for benefits.

The veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent since October 23, 2000. The effective date for this rating is October 23, 2000.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability, concluding that the veteran's current degenerative joint disease did not manifest within one year of his separation from service and was not related to any aspect of his military service.

The veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for the award of a total rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance were granted, effective January 7, 2002.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, irritable colon system, left hernia scar, right hernia scar, residuals of left 3rd and 4th metacarpal fractures, tendonitis of the right shoulder, and left elbow olecranon bursitis. The Board also denied the veteran's claim to reduce his disability rating for removal of the left testicle with erectile dysfunction.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder and right knee disorders, finding no evidence of such conditions during service. The claim for reopening the neck disorder was also denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and a left knee disorder. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease, is not related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right and left knees is being remanded to allow for additional examination and consideration of the evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a left knee injury and left knee instability, finding that the evidence does not warrant higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Board has denied the appellant's application to reopen her claim for service connection of a low back disorder and her request for an increased rating for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee. The case is being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, low back disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, migraine headaches, tinnitus, and a disability manifested by vertigo, were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to service.