Knee Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's current right knee disorders were not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tricompartmental arthritis of the left knee, chronic right ankle disorder, bilateral shoulder disorders, arthritis of the hands, wrists and fingers, and chronic osteomyelitis of the left ankle are all secondary to his service-connected postoperative residuals of right knee fusion.

The Board found no evidence of a current left knee disability and denied the veteran's claim for service connection. The right knee disability evaluation was also denied.

The veteran's appeal for increased evaluations for service-connected traumatic arthritis of the right and left knees was denied by the RO.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in a combination of loss of the right leg above the knee and impairment of the left lower extremity, necessitating the use of a brace, crutches, cane, or wheelchair for locomotion. As such, he is entitled to specially adapted housing.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development at the RO level.

The veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes was denied due to his failure to appear for VA examinations.

The veteran's current disability evaluation for the retained foreign body in his right knee is found to be appropriate, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's low back disability as secondary to his left knee disability. The increased evaluation for the left knee disability remains at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence and conduct another VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected right knee chondromalacia, finding that it most closely approximates moderate symptomatology.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 40 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right testicular lesion and for initial evaluations of his adjustment disorder with depressed mood and residuals of a repaired left knee anterior cruciate ligament, finding no evidence supporting these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a chronic right knee disability due to lack of well-groundedness. The case was remanded multiple times, but no further evidence was provided or obtained.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of frostbite to hands, legs, knees, feet, toes and fingers. The veteran did not have a current disability resulting from in-service frostbite exposure. As for the knee injury issue, there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if any current disorder is related to active service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right knee, currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's PTSD and ischemic heart disease are granted service connection, while the right foot and right knee disabilities remain unresolved.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not warrant an evaluation in excess of the currently assigned ratings.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's request for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee injury with traumatic arthritis, currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected numbness, right knee, effective July 2000.