Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to address the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess his conditions.

The veteran's patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee, pes planus, and tendonitis of the left ankle have been rated as follows: 10 percent for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee; noncompensable for pes planus; and 10 percent for tendonitis of the left ankle. The veteran's claims are granted.

The Board found that the veteran's multiple joint pains, memory loss, and stomach disorder are not related to his service or an undiagnosed illness. The conditions were diagnosed as degenerative joint disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and chronic gastritis respectively.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records from a VA facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, related to an ablation procedure performed on the veteran in April 2001. The issues of service connection for heart disease and arthritis of the knees are also being addressed.

The Board found no medical evidence to support a connection between the veteran's current left knee disability and his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right hip disorder, other than osteochondroma; low back disorder; bilateral knee disorder; and bilateral leg disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service or any service-connected disability.,Service connection was not granted as secondary to a service-connected condition due to the lack of medical opinion linking the current diagnoses to the veteran's in-service right hip osteochondroma.

The veteran's hiatal hernia has been rated at 30 percent, the highest available rating under Diagnostic Code 7346.,The right great toe fracture with excision of bone fragments is currently evaluated as noncompensably disabling (zero percent).,The left ring finger fracture with mallet deformity does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.,Angioedema has been rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 7118.,Right foot exotosis is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.,Degenerative joint disease of the right ankle is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.,Degenerative joint disease of the left knee and right knee are both currently evaluated at 10 percent.,Degenerative joint disease of the right elbow is not yet rated, but if it meets criteria for a higher evaluation, it would be assigned an initial rating in excess of 10 percent.,The veteran's service-connected disabilities have been granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left knee warrants a 10 percent disability rating, effective January 2003. The RO previously granted service connection for this condition in April 1992 and continued the evaluation as ten percent disabling in January 2003.

The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease for the left ankle disability and denied service connection. For the left knee disability, the Board also found no evidence linking it to service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have chronic tension headaches related to service and denied his claim for service connection. The right knee issue is remanded due to lack of a recent VA examination.

The veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board's decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and evaluation of her left knee disorder, finding that there was no current chronic low back disorder related to service.

The Board found that the veteran did not timely file an appeal regarding his claim for service connection for right knee bursitis with degenerative joint disease, which was denied in July 2003. The issue is dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board has granted an initial 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's right knee disability, which is commensurate with limitation of motion and other symptoms. The condition does not meet criteria for higher ratings based on instability or arthritis.

The veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis as secondary to his service-connected left ankle and right knee disabilities, as well as increased ratings for his service-connected left ankle and right knee disabilities, are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board found that the reduction of the veteran's knee instability ratings from 10 percent to zero percent was proper, as there was no evidence showing ligamentous instability at the time of the November 2004 rating decision.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination and compliance with VCAA notice requirements.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a current orthopedic examination to determine the severity of his left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left knee was not incurred in service and is not causally or etiologically related to service. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee internal derangement with patella tendonitis, chondromalacia, and Baker's cyst is manifested by motion from 0 degrees extension to 120 degrees flexion, with pain from 5 to 90 degrees. The maximum schedular rating for cartilage, semilunar, dislocated, with frequent episodes of 'locking' pain, and effusion to the joint (Code 5258) is 20 percent. Since there was no current instability in the left knee, Code 5257 was not applicable. Therefore, the Board denied a disability rating greater than the combined 30 percent that the veteran currently receives under Codes 5003 and 5258.