Knee Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left knee arthritis and hypertension, prevented him from successfully pursuing a vocational rehabilitation program.

The Board found no credible or competent evidence of a left knee disorder, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right leg/knee disabilities, as well as a right eye vision disability. The memory loss due to concussion issue remains unresolved.

The veteran's right knee disability is currently manifested by slight limitation of motion and pain, from a dislocation of the semilunar cartilage. The Board finds that he is properly rated as 20 percent disabled for his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current symptoms or findings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, right hip and knee disorders, and PTSD. The denial was based on lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee disorder. The decision also granted service connection at a 10 percent initial disability rating for hepatitis C.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, an earlier effective date for nonservice-connected pension benefits, and increased evaluations for osteochondromatosis of the right knee and arthritis of each knee. The decision is based on a lack of evidence linking any current conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on functional impairment.

The veteran's service-connected traumatic arthritis of the left foot with fractures at the base of the second, third, and fourth metatarsals warrants a 10 percent evaluation from March 4, 1992. The veteran's service-connected chondromalacia patellae of the right knee also warrants a 10 percent evaluation from March 4, 1992.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if any current knee or back disability is causally related to service-connected bilateral hammertoes.

The Board found no basis for awarding a higher rating for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, as his flexion was limited to 45 degrees or less and extension was full.

The RO denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disorder, bilateral ankle disability, schizophrenia, bilateral knee disability, and hip disability. The decisions became final as the appellant did not file a NOD.

The veteran's torn right medial meniscus with chondromalacia of the right patella, postoperative, is currently rated at 10 percent disabling. The veteran's advanced degenerative osteoarthritic changes of the right knee are also rated at 10 percent. Both conditions have been found to be service-connected on a direct basis and do not involve any presumption or exposure basis.

The veteran's post-operative right knee residuals are currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling, but the VA examination is inadequate for rating purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, but denied an increased rating for the right knee disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, right knee disability, left knee disability, and basal cell carcinoma of the skin. However, the claims were denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the veteran's incarceration and requests for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of reopening the claim for bilateral knee disability and increasing the rating for chipped bone of left thumb are pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for right knee sprain and service connection for tension headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating or service connection based on the current evidence of record.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, chondromalacia of both knees, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.