Knee decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current right knee disability related to his military service and finds no evidence of a compensable cervical spine disability. The claims for depression, left arm peripheral neuropathy, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and COPD/asthma are deferred pending completion of development.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee anterior cruciate ligament deficiency and assigned a noncompensable rating effective August 24, 2002. The claim is now remanded to the RO for further development.

The veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the knees and ankles, atrial flutter and enlarged heart, and initial rating for bilateral varicose veins were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active duty or training.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a chronic bilateral knee disability, back disability, or neck disability (to include degenerative changes) related to service. The veteran's complaints of pain in these areas have not been substantiated by medical evidence and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and found that new and material evidence had not been submitted sufficient to reopen the claims of bilateral shoulder disability, right knee disability, right hand and fingers disability, lupus erythematosus, generalized degenerative arthritis, hypertension, Sjorgren's disease, stomach disability, prostate disability, residuals of a fractured right forefinger, and residuals of an injury to the left side. The veteran is seeking to reopen these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right knee, heart disease, gastrointestinal disease, and pulmonary disease. The appeals were not about service connection at all, as they pertained to eligibility for non-service connected pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from Fort Rucker and Fort Knox, scheduling an orthopedic examination, and readjudicating the claims.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right knee disability, effective June 4, 2003. The veteran's claim to reopen the previously denied claims was received on that date.

The Board found that the veteran does not have current residuals of a right knee or head injury, and denied his claims for service connection. His claim for an increased rating was also denied as there is no evidence showing he has any additional skin disability beyond what is already rated at 60 percent.

The veteran's appeal is denied as he has not met the criteria for an extension of his delimiting date beyond November 4, 2003.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (residuals of right below knee amputation from verrucous carcinoma associated with generalized tinea circinata and generalized tinea circinata) are being remanded for further examination to determine their impact on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the veteran's left knee disability and need for aid and attendance.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disorder, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The veteran's current right knee arthritis is not related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for encephalitis residuals, as the medical evidence did not establish a link between the veteran's symptoms and his time in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral knee disorder is not related to his military service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The veteran is not shown to have a chronic disability, manifested by joint pain of the hands, shoulders and knees, due to disease or injury which was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a back injury and left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right knee conditions do not warrant increased ratings as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations under applicable rating codes.

The veteran's left knee surgery convalescence was not required after September 30, 2000. Therefore, the temporary total rating beyond that date is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher evaluations for his service-connected left knee and right back disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 10 percent.