Knee decisions — 2008

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral uveitis and increased ratings for the veteran's right knee, left knee, and right thumb disabilities. The effective date is not specified.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing at the RO level.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn before the Board could make a decision.

The veteran's appeal is denied for the right hand disorder claim. The Board finds that there is no current evidence of a chronic right hand disorder incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and a bilateral knee disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus to active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating and a temporary total evaluation due to his right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a left knee disability due to new evidence submitted. The PTSD claim is remanded as there is insufficient evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a bilateral hearing loss disability or a left knee disorder, and thus the veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not causally related to a service-connected condition. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee and right foot disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active service. The available evidence does not support a finding of chronicity, aggravation, or any other form of service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for post-operative left knee replacement due to lack of verified in-service stressors and insufficient evidence to support the claim.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and obtaining SSA records. The case will be readjudicated to consider whether a separate rating should be assigned for any neurological disability in the left leg resulting from RSD.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, and histoplasmosis. The claim for right upper extremity numbness was granted as secondary to the veteran's service-connected right arm disability.,Service connection for a back disorder has been reopened based on new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notice of the type of new and material evidence needed to reopen the claims.

The veteran's service-connected right shoulder, left knee capsular strain, and erectile dysfunction are rated at the lowest possible levels. The Board found no evidence to warrant a higher rating.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims for service connection for post-operative residuals of right knee traumatic arthritis and left knee arthritis as secondary to a service-connected condition. The preponderance of the evidence indicated that any current conditions were not related to active service.

The Board has granted a rating of 50 percent for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability effective June 28, 2008.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, as well as his increased evaluation claims for residuals of a fractured right talus and injuries to the left shoulder and elbow. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current right knee condition to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder is not service connected and his left knee disabilities do not warrant a higher rating. The claims for increased ratings are therefore denied.