Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining his service treatment records from June 1987 to June 1990.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back and right knee disabilities are not related to his service, including any complaints noted during service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his current right knee disability is related to his military service, thus denying the claim.

The Veteran's left knee disability is not considered to be caused by VA care, treatment, or examination. The Board finds that the failure to order an MRI did not result in additional disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis B was denied in July 1993. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim. The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 30 percent under DC 5260, which rates limitation of flexion. A higher rating for limitation of flexion is not available. No extraschedular consideration was warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his claimed conditions are related to his active duty or to any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for postoperative traumatic arthritis of the right and left knees were denied as there is no evidence showing that his conditions have warranted a higher evaluation based on current symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee pain and leg cramps due to an undiagnosed illness during service in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations. The upper respiratory disability (rhinitis), TMJ, and headaches are not considered related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, mycoplasma infection, right and left knee disorders, as well as increased ratings for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left wrists have all been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination regarding his left knee disability. The case will be returned to the Board if further action is required.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee chondromalacia did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher disability rating, as it did not show ankylosis, severe recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, flexion limited to 15 degrees, extension limited to 20 degrees, or impairment of the tibia and fibula with marked knee or ankle disability.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims, and that there was no direct or secondary service connection based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's PTSD and right knee disability are currently rated at 50% and 10%, respectively, and the Board finds that neither condition warrants a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for degenerative changes in her right knee is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a more recent VA examination and consideration of any work-related limitations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety, depression, a heart disorder, hypertension, and bilateral knee disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support these conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated as compensable.,There is no evidence of a current right knee disability.,There is no evidence of a current right shoulder disability.,There is no evidence of a current right lung disability.,There is no evidence of a current cervical spine disability.,There is no evidence of a current thoracic spine disability.,The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for service connection.,There is no evidence of residuals of burst left ear drum other than hearing loss.,PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service.,Tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service.,A missing partial spinal cord and congenital tethered cord syndrome were not incurred in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and respiratory disorder, as well as an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, were denied. The Board found no current diagnosed conditions related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability and left knee degenerative joint disease, finding that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim. The Board also found that there was no medical evidence linking the left knee disability to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder was incurred during active service and is granted service connection.