Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his degenerative joint disease of the right knee and residuals of injury of the right knee postoperative, with instability. The RO assigned a 30 percent evaluation for each condition.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his left knee ligament strain, finding that there was at most mild instability and significant complaints of pain but no compensable limitation of motion. The preponderance of evidence did not support a higher rating.

The VA denied a request for an increased rating for osteochondritis dissecans of the left knee, currently rated at 20 percent. The evidence did not show more than mild impairment or limitation of motion that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have service connection for hearing loss, right ankle injury, right wrist sprain, tinnitus, left knee chondromalacia, serous otitis media, or cyst of the right testicle. The evaluation for lumbosacral strain is 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disability warranted a 20% rating, and denied service connection for his right foot disorder.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee due to new and material evidence submitted since the last denial in June 1953.

The veteran's increased evaluation claims for left knee and right hand disabilities have been denied due to his failure, without good cause, to report for several VA examinations.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a left knee disorder based on new evidence submitted by the veteran, which indicates that he sustained an injury to his knee during active duty in October 1993. The claim will now be reviewed on its merits.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and denied ratings in excess of 20 percent for right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of both knees does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability warrants a 10 percent rating prior to March 1998, based on arthritis with painful motion and moderate recurrent subluxation or lateral instability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee injury, including arthritis. The claim is therefore granted.

The veteran's left knee disability, including arthritis and instability, warrants a separate rating of 10 percent for chondromalacia and another 10 percent for arthritis. The temporary total disability rating for convalescence after surgery is granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of in-service injuries or exposure to verified stressors, and the claimed conditions are not related to his military service.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's postoperative arthrotomy of the right knee with traumatic arthritis due to a shell fragment wound, currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder on both direct and secondary bases, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his claim. The current evaluation for the service-connected left ankle disability is 10%.

The veteran's right knee disability is rated at 40 percent, and his left knee disability is rated at 20 percent. The appeals for increased ratings were denied.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder, effective from July 31, 1996. The ratings for the other conditions remain at 10 percent.