Knee Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left leg injury in March 2009, finding no evidence linking the current disability to service. The Veteran submitted new evidence since then but it did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate his claim.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for joint pain as due to undiagnosed illness is being remanded for additional development, including an examination and review of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right knee sciatic nerve irritation is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 8720 for moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve. The Board finds no evidence to support a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by instability and pain, is rated at 60% since May 1, 2009.

The Board has ordered a remand for further development due to inadequate examination reports and unanswered medical questions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed right hip and right knee disorders.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability did not have its clinical onset in service, was not due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability, and is not presumed to be related to service. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was also denied as it was determined to be unrelated to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his authorized representative.

The Board finds that there is no current evidence of a left or right knee disability, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for degenerative joint disease of both knees, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn regarding the issue of dental disorder. The Board finds that multiple joint and muscle pain, urethritis, prostatitis, chronic sinusitis, conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome, night sweats (due to Reiter's syndrome or sarcoidosis), respiratory problems (sarcoidosis), blood in stools/hemorrhoids, and short term memory loss are all part of his service-connected Reiter's syndrome. The Veteran's right heel spur residuals do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. His sarcoidosis does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for back and left knee disabilities, finding that they were not related to the Veteran's active duty service or secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The January 1953 rating decision denied the Veteran's claims for service connection, assigning a 30 percent rating for gunshot wound of the right thigh with neuropathy, sensory only; a 10 percent rating for scar, gunshot wound of the left buttock; and no rating for scar of the left knee. The RO found that there was clear and unmistakable error in not assigning separate evaluations for muscle injuries.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a higher rating prior to July 31, 2010.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is not due to disease or injury incurred in service, and arthritis cannot be presumed. The Board finds that the current right shoulder degenerative changes and possible rotator cuff tear are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's allergic rhinitis began during service and has continued since, granting service connection for this condition. The right knee disability is not related to service or any presumptive exposure basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining service treatment records from his period of ACDUTRA and arranging for VA examinations to address the etiology of his left knee disability and migraine headaches.

The Board denied the appellant's requests for increased evaluations for his right knee disability, left shoulder disability, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left arm. The remaining issues are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his military service and therefore, denied his claims for direct and secondary service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic respiratory disability related to service and denied the claim for an upper respiratory disability. The left knee disability was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, left knee joint pain, and hypertension was denied by the Board. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in any of these cases.