Knee decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for hypertension, a back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The RO is instructed to consider these reopened claims.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and decrease in visual acuity. However, no new evidence was provided to establish a direct link between these conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to his service-connected left knee disability or incurred during active duty.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral knee disability existed prior to service and did not progress beyond its natural progression during service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disability, chondromalacia of the patella, and an initial 10 percent evaluation for scar, right thumb injury, effective October 22, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an evaluation in excess of 60 percent for her service-connected left knee disability and upheld the reduction from 50 to 30 percent for her right knee disability.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected patellofemoral pain syndrome, associated with patellar tendonitis, in both knees. The veteran contends that there has been a worsening of this disability and asserts bilateral knee instability.

The Board has determined that an increased rating is not warranted for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and service connection is denied for his left knee disability.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied, and the initial evaluations for other conditions were granted.

The Board finds that the veteran did not have any in-service injury or disease of the right upper cheek, right arm, hands, or right leg resulting from service. There is no current medical evidence of a disability related to these issues.

The VA examiner found mild to moderate patellar tendonitis in the left knee, with no instability or meniscal signs. The veteran's symptoms were primarily over the anterior aspect of the knee and occasionally at the lateral joint.

The veteran's initial claim for increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities was denied. The RO found that prior to April 2005, the knees did not meet criteria for a higher rating due to lack of limitation of motion or incapacitating exacerbations. Since April 2005, there is evidence of limited flexion and effusion in both knees, warranting separate 20% ratings under DC 5258.

The veteran's arthritis of the cervical spine, shoulders, right hip, left hip, and knees are not service connected. However, his degenerative disc disease and spondylosis of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 10% from July 5, 2002 and increased to 40% from March 4, 2006.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and higher initial ratings for his right knee, bilateral shoulder conditions, and scar from a donor site. The veteran was not granted any new or material evidence to reopen his claim for patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee.

The veteran's hypertension and hyperthyroidism are not service-connected. The Board is unable to determine if the veteran's current left knee disorder is related to his service, but it is service-connected. His diabetes mellitus remains service-connected.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete notification and development needs.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for the veteran's arthritis in her right knee, effective from when she filed her claim. The original 10 percent rating for residuals of meniscectomy and patellectomy remains unchanged.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and hip disabilities, as well as his increased ratings for pes planus and low back sprain. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral flat foot and toe pain, groin and pelvic pain, left leg disability, sacroiliac joint pain/hip pain, knee disability, and bone deterioration, are not shown to be related to service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a grant of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right knee scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.