Knee decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding no relationship between the veteran's present knee conditions and his service or service-connected low back disability.

The veteran's right knee condition is manifested by range of motion from 0 to 110 degrees flexion with painful motion, but not by subluxation or instability or severe functional impairment.

The appeal for service connection of a right ankle disability was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to active service. The other claims were either denied or remanded.

The veteran's initial rating for residuals, left knee injury, status post anterior cruciate ligament repair was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for arthritis of the right knee, finding that the evidence established a link between the veteran's in-service activities and his current condition.

The veteran's residuals of left knee Baker's cyst excision are not entitled to an initial evaluation greater than 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury to the right knee and that the current condition was not related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's right ankle, right thumb, and erectile dysfunction disabilities as they did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, peptic ulcer disease, diverticulitis/diverticulosis, intervertebral disc syndrome, arthritis of the wrists and hands, bilateral hip and knee disabilities, post-operative muscle weakness and herniation, and a left ankle disability as there was no evidence relating their onset to service.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The veteran's claim for a rating higher than 10 percent for status post operative, lateral meniscectomy, right knee was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an above-the-knee amputation of the right leg, secondary to service-connected gout.

The appeal is remanded for further development of the evidence, including an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current knee disorder.

The Board denied the claim to reopen for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and found that the veteran did not file a timely appeal for entitlement to service connection for residuals of a right knee injury.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a left knee disability rated at 30%, a low back disability rated at 20%, and bilateral hearing loss rated at 10%, do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The appeal is remanded for a Travel Board hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability was denied, while his claim for residuals of a left foot injury was granted.

The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected left knee disorder and did not address whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen a previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disorder claimed as secondary to the service-connected left knee. The right knee disorder issue was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, increased rating for status-post lateral meniscectomy of the right knee, increase in disability rating for multiple kidney stones, and a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss. The veteran's current disabilities are rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hyperparathyroidism and degenerative joint disease of the right knee are both service-connected, with the former being granted on a direct basis and the latter on a secondary basis to his service-connected left knee disability.