Knee decisions — 2008

The Board found no current diagnosis of a right or left knee disability and denied the veteran's claims for service connection on direct basis. The claim for secondary service connection to his service-connected right ankle disability was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including PTSD, Major Depression, Tinnitus, Left Trochanteric Bursitis, and Right Hip Disorder (including hip and knee/leg disorders), are not established as being related to active service. Therefore, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The veteran's service-connected left knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent, which includes limitations in motion and instability. The Board has determined that a separate rating of 30 percent for limitation of extension is warranted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for amputation above the right knee as secondary to his service-connected disabilities of the right leg, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking the amputation to his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, low back disability, and right leg condition (to include right hip condition) due to lack of new and material evidence for the right knee claim and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal on the claims of entitlement to service connection for left and right hip, back, left foot and right knee disabilities prior to a decision being made by the Board.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes. The veteran was assigned a 10 percent evaluation for his left knee dislocation, status/post arthroscopic surgery.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a low back disorder and bilateral knee disorder secondary to his service-connected ankle disabilities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his service or service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a back injury, increased ratings for left knee arthritis and gastroesophageal reflux with hiatal hernia, and remanded his claim for increased rating for medial collateral ligament strain of the left knee.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right and left knee disabilities are related to his service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed right and left ankle disabilities, as well as his right and left knee disabilities, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence does not support a finding of chronic disability resulting from these injuries.

The Board found no evidence of a skin disease, muscle weakness, bilateral shoulder disability, or chronic fatigue syndrome that is related to the veteran's service-connected sarcoidosis. Degenerative joint disease of the knees, arms, elbows and spine was also not shown to be caused by or aggravated by his service-connected sarcoidosis.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and assigned an initial rating of 30 percent. The veteran's chronic headaches, facial nerve palsy resulting from Bell's palsy, hypertension, and right testicle hydrocele are all rated as they were initially granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for hepatitis B, a right ankle condition, and arthritis of the right knee as secondary to the right ankle condition due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) of the left knee, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for tinnitus. The evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection based on the current disability.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability, right knee strain, and left knee strain. The evidence did not establish a link between the veteran's current disabilities and her military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right knee replacement and service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and a back condition as secondary to his right knee disability. The claim for TDIU was also denied.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for an increased evaluation of his right knee disability, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent. The appeal was also denied regarding service connection for heart disability.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee with resulting total knee replacement, finding that it is proximately due to or aggravated by the veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The veteran's combined service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.