Knee Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service. The claim for a chronic stomach disorder was also denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant due to his service-connected disabilities not meeting the criteria for such benefits.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and an increased evaluation for his left knee disability, as well as denying a compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection due to lack of in-service diagnosis or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and an increased evaluation for residuals post-arthrotomy right knee, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The VA found that sinusitis did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and benign prostatic hypertrophy was also rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder, post-total knee replacement, warrants a 30 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability, which includes arthritis and a history of meniscectomy, does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The veteran's service-connected traumatic arthritis of the left knee is proximately due to his service-connected fracture residuals of the left tibia and fibula. The RO should evaluate this disability and adjust the veteran's overall evaluation for service-connected disability prior to its adjudication of the TDIU issue.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease and total left knee replacement are secondary to his service-connected right ankle fracture, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for thoracic spine degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis. The issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for thoracic spine degenerative arthritis have been addressed.

The veteran's appeal for higher evaluations for his right knee and right hand disabilities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for internal derangement, right knee, or a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted increased evaluations for the veteran's left and right knee disabilities, with a 20 percent rating for each.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected chondromalacia of the right knee does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The VA has denied a higher rating for the veteran's service-connected left knee replacement, finding that the current 30 percent disability rating adequately reflects his symptoms and functional limitations.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeals for increased evaluations of his service-connected right knee fracture, plantar warts of both feet, and fractured right scapula and clavicle disabilities due to a lack of timely filed substantive appeal.

The veteran's appeal is denied as there is no evidence of a valid claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right and left knee disabilities.

The veteran's appeals for increased rating and service connection were dismissed as no adequate substantive appeal was filed within the required time frame.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, residuals of a skull fracture with headaches, and residuals of a right knee injury. The appeals were based on new evidence submitted after previous denials.

The Board has determined that a rating in excess of 10 percent was not warranted prior to April 7, 1998. From October 1, 1998 onwards, the veteran's right knee disability warrants a 30 percent disability rating.