Knee decisions — 2008

The veteran's claim for a temporary total disability rating based on convalescence following his August 1998 knee surgery was denied because the claim was received more than one year after the surgery, and he is not entitled to a 100% disability evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5055.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right ear hearing loss, hypercholesterolemia, a left shoulder condition, and a left knee condition. The veteran was not granted an increased rating for her lumbosacral strain with minimal degenerative changes.

The VA Board has determined that the appellant does not have a diagnosis of PTSD, and there is no evidence to support service connection for prostate disorder or bilateral knee disorder. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 40 percent for the left knee disability from November 15, 2006 to March 19, 2007. The veteran's bronchial asthma is rated at 30 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his medical records and consideration of the new evidence. The issues on appeal include service connection for wrist and knee injuries, as well as a claim for an increased rating for adjustment disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed right and left knee disorders are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete medical records and inadequate VCAA notice.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for increased ratings of his lumbar spine and right knee disabilities, indicating he was satisfied with the November 2007 rating decision. The Board has dismissed these matters as a result.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability with degenerative joint disease is entitled to a 40 percent evaluation, effective August 27, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The VA found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations or service connection.

The veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been granted service connection, but the RO has assigned a 10 percent disability rating for each knee. The Board finds that higher initial ratings are not warranted based on the evidence.

The Board found no evidence of chest wall spasms in service and denied the claim. The veteran's skin disorders, bilateral foot disorder, and bilateral knee disorder were not granted service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and an increased evaluation for his status post fracture of the right femur, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right knee degenerative joint disease and instability, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of death, but the evidence does not support granting the claim as the veteran's respiratory condition was not a significant contributing factor to his death.

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable due to their severity.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability, including both instability and arthritis, did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating from July 12, 1980 to September 4, 1984.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VCAA notice and needs to ensure proper notification of the provisions of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA) and the regulation relating to secondary service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's current left knee disorder is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.