Knee decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the appellant's knee and dental conditions.

The Board has determined that a chronic knee disorder was not present in service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking the current bilateral knee disorder to service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's service connection claims for arthritis of both hands and wrists, secondary to service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Board has denied all the issues related to service connection for various conditions, including a right hip injury, defective hearing, peripheral neuropathy, left shoulder disorder, residuals of a right ankle injury, left Achilles tendinitis, and a right knee injury. The veteran's claims have been denied as there is no evidence that these conditions are due to active military service or any disability of service origin.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The RO found that the right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, numbness of the left cheek was not compensable, and the scar on the left cheek did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar strain, right knee disability, and right ankle disability as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disability, neck and shoulder disabilities, anxiety and depression, sexual dysfunction, or sinus headaches related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee arthritis is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected back disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue regarding the left foot disorder remains pending as it was not addressed in the decision.

The veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, arthritis of the hips and elbows, and arthritis of the left knee were denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Service connection was not granted as there is no medical evidence connecting current diagnoses with service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right and left knee disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred. As a result, the claims for service connection are denied.

The veteran's chronic myositis ossificans of the left thigh, with left knee and hip involvement, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that this rating adequately compensates for his disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right knee scars and a back disorder, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his claim. The COPD rating was also denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for compensable evaluations for his right wrist and right knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of arthritis or instability warranting a higher rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder secondary to his service-connected varicose veins of the right leg and for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his varicose veins of the right leg.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his current conditions and military service. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and a left knee disability, as well as an increased rating for the right knee disability. The veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection for bilateral leg and knee pain, and back pain were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to his active duty service or service-connected conditions.

The Board granted a separate 20% evaluation for limitation of extension and a separate 10% evaluation for removal of semilunar cartilage, both under the appropriate diagnostic codes. The veteran's left knee sprain with degenerative joint disease is currently rated as 10%. No extraschedular rating was assigned.

The VA denied a higher disability rating for the veteran's right knee traumatic arthritis, status post arthroscopic chondroplasty, as it did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected knee disabilities, finding that the conditions have primarily manifested as chronic pain and slight limitation of flexion.