Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's right knee injury is related to service.

The veteran's left knee instability is currently rated at 10 percent, effective March 9, 2001. The temporary total rating for convalescence following ACL reconstruction surgery was granted until December 31, 1994.

The Board found that DJD of both knees was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's right knee disorders, including degenerative changes and instability, have been rated based on their current manifestations. The most recent rating of 20 percent for instability was assigned effective from October 26, 2004.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left and right knee disabilities, as well as service connection for back and hip disabilities secondary to his knee conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition secondary to his left knee arthritis and orthopedic hardware of proximal left fibula, as well as an increased rating for left knee instability. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed left knee disorder is not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Board denied increased evaluations for the veteran's left and right knee disabilities, currently rated at 10 percent each.

The Board has granted service connection for chondromalacia patella of the left and right knees, assigning an initial 10 percent disability rating to each knee.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including obtaining additional medical records and determining whether a claim for reimbursement of non-VA medical expenses was pending.

The Board has requested a VA opinion on the probability of bilateral knee disorders being the principal cause of the veteran's death. The case is remanded for obtaining toxicology and autopsy reports.

The Board found no pre-existing right knee disorder at the time of entry into service, and thus presumed sound condition. The veteran's current right knee disorder is not shown to be related to his active duty or any incident therein.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability and for service connection for a right knee disorder as secondary to his left knee injury. The veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right index finger cut, left knee disability, herpes, and dental disability were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving spouse without children. The claim for pension benefits is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current left knee disability, including his status post meniscectomy and chondroplasty, is not linked to service. The evidence did not show a continuity of symptoms or any link between the current condition and service.

The Board found that the veteran's current left knee disorder is not causally related to his active service, any incident therein, or any service-connected disability. Therefore, service connection for a left knee disorder was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's increased rating claims for residuals of a left knee sprain and residuals of a right leg fracture, finding that his disabilities did not warrant ratings higher than the current 10% evaluations.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a medical examination and further consideration of his claim for a higher rating for his right knee disability.