Knee Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disorder did not originate in service and is not related to any incident of service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the appellant's service-connected varicose veins of the right and left legs, effective November 16, 1998.

Service connection is granted for post-traumatic arthritis of C3 and C4, but denied for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine. Service connection is also granted for arthritis of both knees, but hearing loss of the right ear remains denied.,The veteran's traumatic arthritis of the cervical spine is linked to an injury sustained while on active duty.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examination regarding his employability status due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the knees is a result of injury incurred in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, which is primarily manifested by pain without additional functional loss limiting flexion to less than 30 degrees or extending more than 15 degrees, does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left knee disability warrants a 30 percent disability rating prior to November 10, 2003.

The veteran's hypertension claim is pending. The RO granted a 100% rating for his right knee condition from June 2, 2003 to August 1, 2003 and a 10% rating thereafter. He was also granted a separate 10% rating for instability of the right knee.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to incomplete development and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension, left knee disability, right knee disability, and rash were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral below the knee amputations were not caused by VA negligence or fault, and thus denied his claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board denied reopening the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and adjudication due to insufficient analysis in the previous decision, including a lack of evaluation of non-service connected disorders under the rating schedule.

The Board found that the veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not related to his service-connected residuals of a healed mandible fracture. The other issues were also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee gouty arthritis and low back pain, finding that the veteran's current conditions are related to his service-connected gout. The rating assigned is 20% for gout affecting the left first metatarsal phalangeal joint.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to new evidence submitted by the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's right and left knee disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right knee disability and hemorrhoids, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of a post-traumatic left knee sprain, finding that his disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, but did not find sufficient evidence to grant service connection. The appellant's right knee condition was deemed a significant factor in her husband's disability and eventual death, but it was not determined to be service-connected.