Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected left knee condition caused his right knee arthritis, and thus grants service connection for disability of the right knee.

The Veteran's left total knee replacement was not found to be the result of VA treatment in June 2002, and therefore compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and SSA records. The VA will then re-evaluate the claims based on the new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's knee surgery did not meet the criteria for a temporary total rating based on hospitalization or convalescence due to a service-connected disability, as there is no evidence of at least 21 days of inpatient treatment. The Veteran also does not qualify for a temporary total rating based on the need for a period of convalescence following surgery.

The Veteran is seeking to reopen his claim for entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disability. The Board finds that additional development is necessary prior to final appellate review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted an initial compensable rating for patellofemoral syndrome, left knee, or service connection for a right hand and right ring finger crush injury.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected cervical strain, ankle strain, knee strain and shoulder tendonitis prior to the specified dates have been denied as there is no evidence showing that these conditions meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by flexion limited to 112 degrees and extension limited to 6 degrees with additional loss of motion due to pain, weakness, and flare-ups, does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss and bilateral knee disorder was denied as there is no current disability of either condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his right knee condition is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records.

The Board has granted the appellant's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that the Veteran's service-connected heart condition contributed to his death. The decision is based on a balance of evidence in favor of the appellant.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated as noncompensable, and his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine remains at a 20 percent rating. The appeals for both conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's right knee medial meniscus tear with arthritis, low back strain, and hemorrhoids were evaluated. The claims for these conditions have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been rated as noncompensable under the applicable rating criteria. The Board finds that a separate compensable rating for right knee instability is not warranted, and no additional ratings are assigned.,Service connection for right hip disability has been denied as secondary to service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disabilities, including arthritis and instability, are currently rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not proximately due to his service-connected left knee disability. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected residual stab wound scar of the left knee does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's left knee disability is not found to be related to his service-connected right knee disabilities. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disorders, pes planus of the feet, and low back disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hallux valgus of the right and left feet.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his service-connected left and right knee disabilities.