Knee decisions — 2005

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his low back strain, left and right knee disabilities, and elbow bone spurs were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under either the old or new rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left ankle disabilities on a secondary basis, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his service-connected left great toe disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete VCAA notice and need for a VA special orthopedic examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral knee disorder, including post-traumatic arthritis, was incurred during active service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and low back disabilities, as well as his claim for an initial compensable evaluation for cervical strain with occipital headaches, have all been denied due to lack of cooperation in scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee and low back disability in 1988. The RO has since reopened these claims, but new evidence submitted does not meet the criteria to grant service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if any diagnosed knee disorder pre-existed service and whether it was aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right knee arthritis and glaucoma, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural errors and the need for a new VA examination.

The veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent, effective from November 29, 2000.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected degenerative changes of the right and left knees, including consideration of DeLuca factors.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability was not incurred or aggravated during service and is unrelated to any in-service injury. As a result, the claim for service connection for right knee disability is denied.

The veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a vocational rehabilitation assessment.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings were withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board has determined that the earliest effective date for the grant of increased compensation for the service-connected right and left knee disabilities is November 30, 2001. The RO assigned a 10 percent evaluation to each disability as of December 4, 2002.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a videoconference hearing. The issues are seeking increased ratings for right and left knee osteomalacia patella.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury and insufficient medical nexus to link his current condition to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosed bilateral knee disability, and therefore cannot grant service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claim for service connection for a right knee disorder, which was previously denied in November 1997.

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating based on their combined compensation rating of 20 percent.