Knee decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to the need for medical examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the veteran's service-connected right ankle disability and his claimed DJD of the lumbar spine, bilateral hips, knees, and left ankle.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inconsistencies in the examination reports and potential application of the presumption of soundness.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a current right knee disability related to an injury in service, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's reduction in disability compensation from 40 percent to 10 percent was proper due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination. The veteran is currently receiving a 10 percent rating.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and reopening of service connection were denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a left iliac scar was not supported by the evidence, as the limitation of function was attributed to other causes. The claims for neck, right knee, and skin disorders were also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his service connection claim for a left knee disability, finding that no new and material evidence had been received since the December 1983 denial.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development on the TDIU issue due to incomplete examination report and questions regarding the veteran's employability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and depression, as well as his attempts to reopen previously denied claims for residuals of a groin injury and esophageal reflux disease. The Board also denied his claim for an earlier effective date for cardiovascular disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further evidentiary development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability, rating higher than 10 percent for right hallux valgus with callus and metatarsophalangeal joint resection, and temporary total rating based on convalescence following right foot surgery in June 2006.

The Board found that the veteran's entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities arose on March 2, 2004. The effective date of this decision is set at February 27, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for his left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability, manifested by patellofemoral pain and laxity, warrants a 10 percent rating since December 26, 1996. The claim for higher ratings remains pending.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for left knee strain, right knee strain, and hemorrhoids have been denied. The RO assigned a noncompensable rating for hemorrhoids prior to August 1, 2007, and a 10 percent rating since then.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that new and material evidence had not been received.

The veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his scar of the left foot, were denied increased ratings. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's right and left knee disabilities were not granted increased ratings. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's scar of the left foot was not granted a compensable rating. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's headaches were not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome was not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's bilateral pes planus was not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's sleep disorder was not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's multiple joint pain was not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's neurological disorder was not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, chest pains, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's chest pains were not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, memory loss, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's memory loss was not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, and dizziness have all been reopened but are still denied.,The veteran's dizziness was not granted service connection. The claims for service connection for dermatitis/skin disorder, alopecia/hair loss, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome/fatigue, bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder, multiple joint pain, neurological disorder, chest pains, memory loss, and psychiatric disorder other than PTSD have all been reopened but are still denied.

The veteran's service-connected left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed disabilities due to service and therefore, service connection is denied for all issues.

The veteran's pes planus is rated at 10 percent effective September 24, 2001. The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disorders as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are proximately due to or the result of her service-connected pes planus.