Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a request for a videoconference hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected left knee disability and a compensable rating for his service-connected left foot sesamoid fracture disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability due to lack of current diagnosis and no link between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of a right knee arthroplasty revision surgery, including amputation of the lower right extremity above the knee, is granted due to the unforeseeable risk of amputation resulting from infection following the May 2003 surgery.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to procedural issues, specifically the need for a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability. Service connection for tendinitis of the left knee is granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a bilateral knee disorder, or an unspecified disorder on the left side of the trunk. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease with meniscal tears is not manifested by flexion limited to 30 degrees or extension limited to 15 degrees, and clinical findings compatible with slight recurrent subluxation or lateral instability are not demonstrated. Therefore, the claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for this condition has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and a back disability, finding that new evidence did not reopen his previously denied claim for a back disability. The Board also found that the Veteran's current left knee disability was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee injury did not occur during service and is not related to her service. The right shoulder condition, which was pre-existing, was not aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee disability was denied by the RO, as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5260.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected left shoulder and left knee disabilities, finding that they were not related to active duty service.

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee ligament damage disability, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, and insomnia due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's pre-existing conditions were not shown to be aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as service connection for hypertension, were denied by the Board. The evidence did not support higher ratings based on the severity of his knee conditions or hypertension.

The Veteran's patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees is granted with a 10% rating.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disorder is currently rated at 10 percent, effective December 4, 2002. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increased rating for any portion of the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C was denied, and his claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for residuals of an injury to the left hip and left knee was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. He also needs to be scheduled for examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected low back disability, bilateral chondromalacia patella, and GERD.