Knee decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's right and left knee disabilities warrant a 20 percent rating each, based on moderate recurrent instability in both knees.

The veteran's arthritis of the feet was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not proximately due to a service-connected disability.,The residuals of his right knee injury were not caused by VA care, treatment, or examination.

The veteran's claim for a temporary total rating beyond August 31, 2002, based on convalescence from left knee surgery performed by VA in July 2002 is being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for amputation of the right leg below the knee with residual dizziness due to medication, which resulted from a November 2002 surgery at VAMC in Phoenix, Arizona. The case is remanded as VA medical records are needed to support his claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current bilateral knee disorder and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disability and internal derangement of the left knee, finding that neither condition warranted a rating higher than the current assigned ratings.

The veteran's multiple service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities prevent him from achieving a vocational goal, thus feasibility of additional vocational rehabilitation training is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected status post lumbar sprain with sacroiliitis and right knee strain do not warrant an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and arranging for VA examinations to determine the etiology of the veteran's left knee disorder and its impact on his employability.

The Board granted increased disability evaluations for the veteran's service-connected residuals of shell fragment wounds, with a 30 percent rating assigned for each issue. The effective date is not specified.

The veteran's initial claim for increased ratings for his right and left knee chondromalacia patellofemoral pain was granted, with a 10 percent evaluation effective from April 29, 2002.

The Board has remanded the case for an additional medical opinion to determine if the veteran's right knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability, and for consideration of revisions in 38 C.F.R. § 3.310.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder (depression) is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected low back and bilateral knee disabilities, granting the claim for secondary service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of medical evidence, including a VA orthopedic examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and its impact on his ability to work.

The veteran's service-connected left knee disability does not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The VA determined that the veteran's right knee synovitis does not warrant an increased disability evaluation, as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The VA denied increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees, finding that the current range of motion does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the service-connected residuals of a left knee injury, which is more than the current noncompensable rating. The disability picture shows flexion limited to 45 degrees due to pain.

The Board denied service connection for headaches, s/p removal right orbital tumor and bilateral ankle disorder. The claims seeking to reopen the left and right knee disorders were also denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right knee disability and the issue of severance of service connection for traumatic arthritis of the right knee are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records.