Knee decisions — 2007

The RO denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability and secondary service connection claims for various disabilities.,The RO found no medical evidence supporting a nexus between the veteran's service-connected left knee disability and his claimed disabilities.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including obtaining additional VA medical records and providing him with VCAA notice regarding disability ratings and effective dates.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a VA examination by a rheumatologist and adjudication of the claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back, right knee, and right hip disorders due to a lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical records and conduct VA examinations for the veteran's claimed conditions. The issues of service connection for low back pain, bilateral knee disability, uterine fibroids, and thyroid disease are pending.

The Board found no evidence of a current cerebral hemorrhage and denied the veteran's claim for service connection. The claims for cold injury residuals and left knee disability are pending, as further examination is needed to determine their etiology.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, gout, left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss or any higher ratings for the other conditions.

The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for a left knee disability, as there was no nexus between any current left knee disability and service. The preponderance of the evidence demonstrated that the veteran's left knee disability is more likely due to repetitive traumas starting with playing basketball in college.

The Board found no evidence of chronic fever or an undiagnosed illness resulting in chronic fever during service or within one year after separation. Service connection for back pain, joint pain, decreased hearing, decreased vision, breathing difficulties, headaches, and liver and abdominal pain were also denied as they did not meet the specific requirements of the Persian Gulf War provisions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination and further evaluation is needed.

The veteran seeks reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Calais Regional Hospital on March 4, 2004 due to left hip pain. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.

The veteran's initial compensable rating for a scar of the right knee is denied as his current disability does not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the earliest effective date was July 9, 2003.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and left knee disorders, but denied service connection for residuals of lower left lung removal, rib removal, and right knee disorder. The decision is based on the benefit of doubt in favor of the veteran regarding PTSD, and no current evidence supports a link between asbestos exposure and any current respiratory or knee conditions.

The VA has determined that the veteran's right knee disability, which was granted service connection for in July 2002 and rated at 10 percent since then, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on current symptomatology.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the residuals of a laceration of the left knee with skin graft and denied entitlement to an effective date prior to September 30, 1991, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of L4-L5 and L5-S1 with right lumbar radiculopathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinea pedis and cruris with onychomycosis, residuals of left knee strain, and osteoarthritis of the ankles. The conditions were rated under direct service connection criteria.

The Board granted an effective date of September 21, 1988 for the veteran's service connection claim for residuals of an injury to his right lower extremity with below-the-knee amputation. The appellant was awarded accrued benefits based on this earlier effective date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder and degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, as well as his cause of death claim. The appeals were not granted due to lack of new and material evidence.