Knee decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for keratoconus and bilateral knee disability, finding no evidence of a relationship to service or any presumptive conditions.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for left knee instability and arthritis since February 24, 2005. The veteran's disability was not shown to meet the criteria for higher ratings under other diagnostic codes.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder due to lack of evidence linking the current diagnoses to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine strain with degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbosacral spine strain with degenerative changes, tension headaches, right upper and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndromes, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder), right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability. The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing right knee disability was not aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully consider the veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and bilateral knee disorders, including consideration of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current right knee disability had its onset during active service or is related to any in-service disease or injury.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and VA treatment records. The veteran's claims for service connection are also being reviewed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions, as well as his attempt to reopen a claim for an eye condition. The evidence did not establish that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for instability of the veteran's right knee and service connection for arthritis, but denied any increase in evaluation for arthritis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing left knee injury was aggravated by active service, leading to a need for total knee arthroplasty.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability and finds that new and material evidence has been submitted. The additional evidence, including a medical opinion, supports a grant of service connection.

The Board has granted increased evaluations of 20 percent for the service-connected right and left knee chondromalacia patella disabilities, effective from when the appeal was filed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for his left knee recurrent tendonitis with cartilage loss, right knee patellar tendonitis with cartilage loss, and laxity of the right knee. The effective dates were not specified.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and for DEA under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35 due to new evidence requiring further development, including obtaining a VA opinion on whether the veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to his suicide.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for left knee disorder and shoulders arthritis. The veteran's complaints of knee pain during service were noted but no chronic condition was found upon separation examination.

The Board determined that the veteran's right knee disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim.

The Board granted a 60 percent rating for psoriasis effective August 30, 2002. The veteran's right knee injury is rated at 10 percent. TDIU was denied.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's current right knee disorder is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right eye, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected right thigh gunshot wound. The rating for residuals of a right thigh gunshot wound was granted at 10%. A separate 10% rating was granted for degenerative arthritis in the right thigh, and maxillary sinusitis was not rated higher.