Knee decisions — 2009

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to establish a link between the current condition and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee and lumbar spine disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic bilateral knee disorder during service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his claim for increased evaluations and service connection are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disorder began during his active service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee condition and a back condition. The claim of service connection for GERD was also denied, as new and material evidence had not been received to reopen it.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and increased ratings for his shell fragment wounds, chronic otitis media and mastoiditis of the right ear, and hearing loss of the right ear were denied. The claim for service connection for a neuropsychiatric disorder (to exclude PTSD) was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service injury incurred during combat duty in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and a borderline personality disorder with depressive features, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic acquired psychiatric disability in service or within one year after separation from active duty. The Board also found that any current anxiety not otherwise specified is not related to service.

The Board has requested a VA medical opinion and is remanding the case for further review of new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed knee, neck, and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities was denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 30 percent for residuals of a left medial meniscectomy and patellectomy, effective from April 1, 1978.

The Veteran's right shoulder and left knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,However, the Veteran's right elbow disability was incurred in service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current disc herniation of the lumbar spine is not proximately due to, the result of, or chronically aggravated by his service-connected left knee chondromalacia and right knee chondromalacia. The claim for increased ratings for bilateral knee disorders was also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and post-service medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral knee disability were denied. The RO granted service connection for chronic cervical strain, gastrointestinal disability, and pulmonary hypertension and mitral valve regurgitation but assigned noncompensable ratings.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left knee, and left shoulder disorders. The claim for low back disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's right knee and thoracolumbar strain disabilities have been evaluated at the lowest possible rating due to lack of evidence supporting higher evaluations based on functional loss or instability.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and his post-operative scar is also rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation for either condition.