Knee decisions — 2003

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the right arm, right knee, and both hands as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for ulcerative colitis and left knee disorder, including arthritis. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected dysthymic disorder, lumbosacral strain, and residuals of left knee injury do not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of both knees and lumbar spine, finding no evidence of active rheumatoid arthritis or chronic residuals.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a right knee, neck, or heart disorder that was incurred in service. The claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's preexisting right knee disability was not aggravated by service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The initial 10 percent evaluation assigned for the right knee disability is appropriate based on the current symptoms and X-ray findings of degenerative joint disease.

The Board found that the veteran's disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for non-service-connected pension benefits.

The Board granted a 20 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, after considering a 20 percent deduction due to prior disability. The current evaluation is 20 percent after the deduction.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder due to the lack of medical evidence linking any current disability to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of multiple joints, including the cervical spine, lumbar spine, shoulders, wrists, hands, and knees. The decision is based on a finding that these conditions are likely related to injuries sustained during military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of direct service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support such claim. The left knee disorder is granted as service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for his service-connected bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted a grant of service connection for a right shoulder disorder and an increased evaluation for the veteran's left knee disorder. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder is pending.

The veteran's service-connected left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, which reflects the limitation of motion and arthritis in his knee. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted based on instability or subluxation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected chondromalacia patella of the left knee, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent from November 12, 1997 to December 7, 1997; denied entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent since February 1, 1998; and denied entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 12, 1997.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions have been remanded due to the need for compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in service and is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and a special home adaptation grant due to lack of statutory eligibility, as he is not statutorily eligible for these benefits.