Knee decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his right knee condition was denied because he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations, and the claim is being denied by operation of law.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney cancer, right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a right knee disorder, right leg disability with numbness, back disorder, and PTSD, were denied as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for right knee disability and granted a rating of 100% for TDIU effective prior to March 28, 2002. The veteran's pre-existing right knee disability was aggravated by his active duty service.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the service-connected thoracic spine disorder, effective from the date of the initial claim. Service connection was also established for arthritis of the spine as secondary to a service-connected disorder.

The Board found no evidence to support a connection between the veteran's current lower back pain and osteoarthritis of the right knee, and thus denied these service connection claims.

The veteran's left knee disability is being remanded for further examination and development due to inadequate previous examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, seizure disorder, and bilateral knee condition due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed stressors actually occurred in service. The veteran failed to provide sufficient details about his alleged stressors and did not submit any corroborative evidence.

The RO has denied the veteran's claims for evaluations of his left knee retropatellar pain syndrome and bilateral pes planus, effective September 1, 2001. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disorder and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for her right knee disability prior to November 6, 2004. The Board found no evidence of a current left hip disability and concluded that the pre-existing right knee disability did not warrant an increased rating.

The Board found that the grant of service connection for left hip pain secondary to a service-connected left knee disability was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, leading to its proper severance. The veteran's claims for low back and right knee disabilities were denied as they are not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected knee disabilities and other conditions, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a chronic bilateral knee disorder or bilateral pes planus during service, and the veteran's current conditions are not related to his active military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee torn meniscus, status post repair, with osteoarthritis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of relevant VA guidelines.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for the veteran's residual vascular malformation of the left knee, which is characterized by arteriovenous fistula affecting a lower extremity but without signs of stasis dermatitis, ulceration or cellulitis. The schizophrenia remains rated at 50 percent.

The veteran's left knee disability, which includes a torn meniscus and traumatic arthritis, has been rated at 20 percent since May 9, 2003. The current rating is for the full range of motion with no significant functional impairment.

The Board has ordered the veteran to be examined for his right knee disability and to provide an opinion regarding its etiology. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities do not warrant increased ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from the veteran's employer and Social Security Administration records.