Knee Board decisions

The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's current disabilities (bilateral shin splints, left knee disability, respiratory disability, and hemorrhoids) to his military service. Therefore, the claims for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation and a temporary total evaluation based on his left knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in the current 20 percent rating, nor did it meet the criteria for a temporary total evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of his right shoulder, groin, testes, or left knee. For the lumbar spine condition, while a current disability is present, there is no evidence to support service connection due to lack of in-service incurrence and insufficient medical nexus evidence.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been manifested by limited range of motion and traumatic osteoarthritic changes superimposed with rheumatoid arthritis. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating for his right knee disability, but did find a separate compensable rating for arthritis.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the right knee was denied as there is no evidence of instability or impairment to the tibia and fibula, and the current disability is rated under a 'direct' service connection theory.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, but no supplemental statement of the case was issued. The VA is required to schedule him for a VA examination to determine if his degenerative joint disease of the left knee is related to service.

The Board found no evidence to support the appellant's claims for service connection for psychiatric, bilateral foot, right knee, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities. The appeals were denied as direct service connection was not established.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchial asthma, a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease at L4-L5, L5-S1, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain.

The Board denied increased ratings for residuals of right and left knee injuries, as well as a rating in excess of 10 percent for arthritis of the knees. The Veteran's service-connected conditions were rated based on limitation-of-motion codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not causally related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an examination and review of medical records.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain additional service treatment records and VA medical center records, including those from Fort Meade in Sturgis, South Dakota. The Veteran's claim for reopening his right knee injury service connection will be remanded after this information is obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the hips, bilateral; arthritis of the left knee; and residuals of a compression fracture of vertebra T12. Service connection for arthritis of the ankles, bilateral, and arthritis of the feet, bilateral, is denied as not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound is remanded due to the need for additional development, including medical examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right hip conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service. The Board also found that these conditions were not proximately due to or aggravated by his left tarsal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of shell fragment wounds to the left knee are currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for instability of the left and right knees are denied as there is no legal basis for assignment of any earlier effective date.

The Board has assigned an effective date of April 18, 2002 for the grant of a 60 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability based on the first factually ascertainable evidence showing increased severity to warrant such a rating.