Knee Board decisions

The veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been increased to 20% and 30%, respectively, effective January 11, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, concluding that it existed prior to service and was not aggravated in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's arthritis of the right knee, both hips, back, and right shoulder is not related to service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and a back disorder. The claim of residuals of a left foot injury is denied.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current left knee disorder and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for viral hepatitis B, a bilateral knee disorder, and residuals of viral meningoencephalitis with mild memory impairment, mild expressive aphasia, and headaches. The back disability is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has granted service connection for back disability, duodenal ulcer, and left knee disorder. The initial ratings have been adjusted to reflect the severity of each condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, cervical spine disability, headaches, and ganglion cyst of the wrist. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking his current condition to any incident during service.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic knee disability or hemorrhoids in service and denied the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's right knee replacement, effective from April 1999. The claim of service connection for left foot and left knee disorders as secondary to the right knee disorder is also granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee disability, which was previously denied in January 1985.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disorders was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board found that his early post-traumatic arthritis of the knees is causally related to an injury sustained in service.,PTSD has been granted with a 50 percent rating effective December 15, 1997. The veteran's fibromyalgia was initially rated at 10 percent from September 7, 1999 to August 21, 2000 and then increased to 20 percent starting from August 22, 2000.,The veteran's hiatal hernia with acid reflux disease has been rated at 10 percent since October 18, 1999.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee disability, finding that the condition did not warrant a higher evaluation based on the current symptoms and medical evidence.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's postoperative medial meniscectomy of both knees, currently rated at 20 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral knee and shoulder conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active service, and denied her claims for service connection. The initial rating for lumbosacral strain was also denied as there was no evidence of muscle spasm, loss of motion, or other disabling symptoms warranting a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for the below-the-knee amputation of the right lower extremity, finding that it was not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, residuals of head injury with recurrent headaches, residuals of cervical spine and thoracic spine injuries, and gastrointestinal disorder. The veteran did not have a current disability for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right knee disability and the propriety of reducing his low back pain rating. The right knee condition is currently rated at 10 percent, while the low back pain was reduced from 20 to 10 percent.