Knee decisions — 2009

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for bilateral knee pain, left wrist pain and atypical chest pain.

The claim for service connection for residuals of a left shoulder/arm injury was reopened, but denied. The claims for service connection for a right knee disorder were also denied.

The Board denied service connection for nocturnal paresthesias of the upper extremities, stiffness and soreness of both knees, ankles, and feet, chest pain, a lymph node on the right side of the throat, nasal infection, and weight gain as due to undiagnosed illness or other qualifying chronic disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia of the left knee and service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding no evidence supporting an increased rating or a link to service.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder and left knee disability as they were not related to the Veteran's service or to his service-connected chronic lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease and spinal stenosis.

The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected left knee strain and lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with radiculopathy, and denied initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for right knee arthritis and instability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and lumbar spine disability, but found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claim for a left wrist disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee, varicose veins of the left leg, and right knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not support higher ratings.

The appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and obtain updated treatment records.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of degenerative joint disease of the left knee, currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Veteran's postoperative residuals of a left knee injury are manifested by complaints of pain and episodes of locking, with objective findings of pain with motion, tenderness, joint effusion, mild crepitus, and use of a brace. There is no evidence of ankylosis, subluxation, or lateral instability.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for TDIU and knee instability evaluations were denied as the evidence did not show that he was unemployable or had 20 percent knee instability prior to the specified dates.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board denied service connection for an upper back disability and a left knee disability as there was no evidence of current disabilities. The claim for a low back disability was remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle disorders, right and left knee disorders, bilateral pes planus, and bilateral hearing loss as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran is granted separate 10 percent ratings for each knee due to tendonitis with a history of arthritis, as the evidence shows limitation of motion and functional impairment caused by weakness.

The claims for service connection for a low back condition, right knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and eye condition were reopened based on new and material evidence but ultimately denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, right ankle, and left ankle disorders were remanded. The Board denied an initial evaluation greater than 10 percent for left hip bursitis but granted a 20 percent evaluation for low back myofascial strain beginning March 30, 2006.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected hypertension, right and left knee disabilities, and right and left shoulder disabilities as the evidence did not support a higher rating.