Knee decisions — 2008

The VA denied a rating in excess of 20% for the veteran's left knee PPS with a symptomatic plica, arthroscopic lateral release, and osteoarthropathy.

The Board has granted increased ratings of 10% for Dupuytren's contracture and 20% for left knee injury, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the veteran's left shoulder disability, as well as whether his flat feet, right knee disabilities, and left knee disabilities are related to service. The claims for increased ratings will be adjudicated after these actions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disorder, service connection for a left ankle disorder, postoperative residuals of left wrist ganglion cyst removal, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for arthritis of the left knee. The veteran's current condition is found to be related to his in-service injuries, thus service connection is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative joint disease. The Board found no evidence linking the current back disorder to service, and concluded that the left knee disability did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied an increased rating for the residuals of a right knee injury and denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left knee.

The Board granted service connection for arthritis of the total spine, hands, shoulders, knees, and feet. The veteran's atypical left third rib was found to be a congenital defect with no superimposed disease or injury in service.

The Board granted service connection for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee and residuals of mandible fractures, both rated at 10 percent. The effective date remains pending as it is not specified in the decision.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for further development of his claim, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have arthritis of the left knee and arthritis of the right knee was not manifest in service or within one year of discharge, and is otherwise unrelated to service.

The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's left knee disorder to his military service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected left knee disorder effective from August 30, 2004. The veteran is seeking an earlier effective date.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, effective October 11, 2005. The decision also addressed the issue of an earlier effective date.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's left knee disability is related to his service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under either the old or current VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left knee disability and for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status. The veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 30 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5257, which pertains to other impairment of the knee.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and left knee ACL and MCL tears, finding that the veteran's disabilities were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.