Knee decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is being remanded due to deficiencies in the notification provided and incomplete VA medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to deficiencies in a prior decision, including an inadequate basis of a medical opinion used to deny the claim.

The veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, chronic bronchitis, and residuals of mononucleosis were not established. The veteran was granted service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease and left knee trauma with instability, both rated at 20%. He was also granted a compensable rating for eczema from August 30, 2002, and an increased rating to 30% effective July 20, 2006.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, heart disease and hypertension, and multiple joint disabilities including a bilateral knee disability, rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints, osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, and a right ankle disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during service.

The Board found that the veteran's sinus allergies were not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's right knee disability, including the scar, does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations. The calcaneal spurs and pes planus do not cause limitations that would warrant a compensable rating. There is no evidence of a current left knee or elbow condition.,There are no service-connected disabilities related to the veteran's knees or elbows.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and proper VCAA notification.

The Board has found that the veteran's arthritis of the lower back and knees are related to his military service, including parachute training and jumping from helicopters. As a result, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus disability is associated with degenerative arthritis of the hips, knees, ankles, and lumbosacral spine. However, the examiner determined that the bilateral pes planus did not cause the arthritis.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a left knee injury is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's arthritis of both knees was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not shown to be caused by other service-connected disability. The preponderance of evidence on file does not support a finding that the veteran's current knee symptoms are related to his shell fragment wounds during service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the relationship between the veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and his active duty service or a service-connected condition, including right knee traumatic arthritis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral knee conditions, including DJD and patellofemoral pain syndrome, are not related to her military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination of the veteran's knees.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right and left knee disorders did not have their onset during active military service, did not manifest within one year of separation from active military service, and are not otherwise etiologically related to his active military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and left below the knee amputation due to a cold injury sustained in service were denied as there is no current medical diagnosis of PTSD, and no evidence linking the cold injury to the left lower extremity resulting in an amputation.

The veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been evaluated as noncompensable, effective February 1, 2002. The claims for initial compensable evaluations remain denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right below-the-knee amputation is improvable by prosthesis controlled by natural knee action, and thus does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right and left knee disabilities are related to his service-connected bilateral flat feet, while his low back disability is not. The rating for his bilateral flat feet has been increased to a 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability originated during active duty and granted service connection for this condition. The right ankle and skin disability issues are pending further action.