Knee Board decisions

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder due to new and material evidence submitted since the last final decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of otitis media, otitis externa, labyrinthitis, gastroenteritis and viral syndrome, left thumb pain, right knee disorder or left knee disorder. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection and secondary service connection for right knee arthritis, finding that there was no evidence of a direct link to his service-connected shrapnel wound residuals or any other basis for service connection.

The Board has assigned initial disability evaluations of 20 percent for traumatic arthritis of the right and left knees as of September 13, 2001. The veteran's knee disabilities are currently rated under Diagnostic Code 5257 due to moderate instability.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a personal hearing at the RO.

The Board granted service connection for the veteran's conditions but did not grant any compensable ratings. The veteran was found to have right elbow tendonitis, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, and right knee arthritis. However, he did not meet criteria for a compensable rating for his right elbow condition or his left shoulder and right knee conditions.

The appellant's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing via videoconference. The issues of service connection for bilateral knee disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are still under review.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee and right knee disabilities were denied. The left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, while the right knee disability remains noncompensable.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a left leg disability due to new and material evidence submitted since the October 1996 rating decision. However, the Board finds that there is no evidence showing a link between the veteran's current left leg symptoms and his in-service diagnoses or symptomatology.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right knee, left knee, right hip, or low back disability that is related to his service-connected laceration of the right calf. As such, service connection for these disabilities cannot be granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities and hemorrhoids, finding that the conditions did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder, increased evaluations for left knee injury with chronic patellar tendonitis, and headaches. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board found no current diagnosis of a sinus disorder or bilateral knee disorder, and thus denied the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board denied increased ratings for arthritis of the left knee, residuals of a fracture of the cervical spine, and weakness and atrophy of the right arm and hand. The veteran's service-connected conditions are rated as 20 percent, 30 percent, and 40 percent respectively.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral knee disorder and respiratory disorder, to include asthma, are related to his military service. The claims for service connection are granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder and right knee, finding that these conditions are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected postoperative osteochondroma of the left femur.

The veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain warrants a 60 percent rating, and his left and right knee disabilities each warrant a separate 10 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a sprained right knee and arthritis of the right knee, finding that his symptoms did not warrant higher disability ratings based on current medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current chronic left knee disability, other than a service-connected scar. Therefore, service connection for a left knee disability is denied.

The veteran's left knee injury and stress incontinence were found to be service-connected, but the evaluations assigned for both conditions are noncompensable.