Knee Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, impaired vision, and a bilateral foot disability have been granted. The claim for service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to service-connected residuals of a right patellar fracture with traumatic arthritis and a total knee replacement was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The veteran's pancreatitis claim has not been substantiated by the medical evidence.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee, left shoulder and low back disabilities have been granted. The left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, the left shoulder disability at 20 percent, and the low back disability prior to June 24, 2004 was also rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, right knee disorder, and right hip disorder are related to his service due to exposure to noise and repetitive stress while serving aboard a submarine. Service connection is granted for all four conditions.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for chondromalacia of the left knee, status post arthroscopy, manifested by recurrent lateral instability.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities were granted increased ratings of 10 percent each, effective July 1992.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of the evidence, including contacting the U.S. Armed Services Center for Research of Unit Records and providing examinations with nexus opinions relative to his claims.

The Board denied an effective date prior to January 16, 2001 for the award of a total rating based on convalescence or entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Unemployability (TDIU). The decision found that neither unemployability nor an increase in severity of service-connected disabilities was factually ascertainable prior to January 16, 2001.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his knee and foot disabilities, including obtaining recent treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The claims will be re-adjudicated after the development.

The veteran's service-connected migraine headache disability is rated at 50% disabling, which meets the criteria for a TDIU. The claim for bilateral knee disability was reopened based on new evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left knee disability, diagnosed as arthritis and synovitis, was incurred during his active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right hand contusion and left knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of right and left leg injuries, finding that new evidence did not reopen his claim and that the current conditions are not related to service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected skin disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the left and right knees, as well as bilateral plantar fasciitis, were denied. The conditions are characterized by mild symptoms that do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The veteran's right knee disability, characterized as residuals of a right knee injury with meniscectomy and ligament laxity, has been rated at 20% since July 1, 1999. The rating was increased to 30% effective February 8, 2005 for degenerative arthritis.

The Board has determined that the veteran timely filed a notice of disagreement to the April 2000 rating decision, and thus grants this issue. The effective date for the increased ratings is set at November 14, 2001.

The veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated as noncompensable under the revised criteria for Diagnostic Code 7805. The Board finds no limitation of motion due to scars in either knee, and thus a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete examination reports and the need for proper VCAA notification.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of a left knee injury and traumatic arthritis do not warrant ratings in excess of 30 percent and 10 percent, respectively. The current ratings are considered appropriate based on the clinical manifestations of the conditions.