Knee decisions — 2001

The Board found no evidence to support the appellant's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability and hypertension. The current disabilities were not shown to be related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and for reopening his claim of service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that the submitted evidence was not new and material.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disorder (ulcers and hiatal hernia), left knee disorder, and residuals of a fractured nose. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disorder as secondary to his service-connected right medial meniscectomy, and for thoracic spine disorder. The claim for rotator cuff tendinitis in the right shoulder was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral knee replacements are not related to his active military service and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disability is a chronic condition that began in service and granted service connection.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a right knee disorder related to his period of service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected left knee disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The veteran is not entitled to compensation for permanent and total disability due to blindness in both eyes or includes the anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands, thus his claim for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant is denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD and a TDIU rating, while also denying special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound.

The veteran's hypertension and cervical strain were granted service connection. The reduction in the disability rating for cervical strain from 20% to noncompensable was upheld, and a 10% rating for cervical strain was assigned.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Florida Hospital Walker on July 17, 1997 were denied as the treatment was not rendered in a medical emergency of such nature that delay would have been hazardous to life or health.

The Board has determined that the veteran would not have been entitled to a total service-connected disability evaluation for ten or more years immediately preceding his death, and therefore denied the claim of entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for non-service-connected death pension benefits, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits, and accrued benefits owed to the widow of the deceased veteran due to insufficient evidence showing 90 days of active service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected hypertension and left knee disability, but denied his claim for an increased rating for right knee disorder as not well-grounded.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected knee and back disabilities were denied. The RO continued the current ratings of 10 percent for chondromalacia of both knees, 20 percent for polyarthralgia, and no rating for lumbosacral strain.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability (other than a scar), left knee disability, or bilateral ankle disability related to his military service. The claim for a left knee scar is denied as there is no evidence of chronic worsening due to service. Service connection was also denied for pes planus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for his right knee injuries and arthritis, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran died of renal cell carcinoma, and the Board found that he was not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because his death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not meet any of the conditions for entitlement as per the regulations.

The Board has determined that no new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral chondromalacia of the knees.