Knee Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's left knee and lumbar spine disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and arthritis was first shown years post-service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions could not be granted.

The Board denied service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and a neck condition, finding no evidence of such conditions during or related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the left knee, finding that his injury was not incurred during his period of recognized service and thus denying the claim.

The Board dismissed the appeal because a timely Notice of Disagreement was not received with respect to the May 2002 rating decision that denied service connection for a left knee disability, assigned an initial 10 percent evaluation for arthritis of the right shoulder acromioclavicular joint, and assigned initial noncompensable evaluations each for left ear hearing loss and bilateral pes cavus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected left knee disorder, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service medical records and the need for an orthopedic examination to determine if the veteran's current right knee disability is related to his in-service injury.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and separate ratings for his right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support higher evaluations based on current symptomatology.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee disorder, including osteoarthritis, finding that there is no evidence showing the condition was incurred in or aggravated by service and that it did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and contacting his employer.

The veteran does not have a diagnosed right ankle, shoulder, low back, hip, or knee disability. He also does not have residuals of chlorine gas exposure for which service connection is granted.

The veteran's right peroneal nerve injury, instability of the right knee, and postoperative residuals of a right anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with degenerative joint disease are all rated at their maximum allowable levels.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a bilateral knee disability, and an eye disorder. The veteran also claimed secondary service connection for diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer due to in-service herbicide exposure, but these claims are not currently adjudicated as they are not part of the current appeal.

The veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating necessary to qualify for VA non-service-connected pension benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected hypertension, and therefore grants service connection for this condition. The other knee and ankle disabilities are not found to be directly related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for bilateral knee degenerative joint disease. The decision found no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and military service.

The Board has granted the application to reopen the claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the right knee disorder issue.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and seeking alternate medical records. The veteran's claim will be readjudicated based on all evidence added since the March 2004 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder due to new and material evidence. The issue of whether there was CUE in the January 1972 rating decision denying service connection for a back disorder is also remanded.

The veteran's claims for service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, thoracic spine, and lumbar spine have been denied. The right knee disability has resulted in multiple rating changes over time.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and could not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated due to a service-connected low back disability. The VA found no evidence linking the current condition to military service.