Knee decisions — 2005

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and verifying stressor events. The veteran will be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his psychiatric, bilateral knee, and low back complaints.

The Board found that the March 1978 rating decision, which denied reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, did not involve clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back strain, left knee arthroscopy residuals, and right knee disability were denied. The RO confirmed the current evaluations of 20%, 10%, and 10% respectively.

The Board has determined that the veteran's migratory pain in multiple joints, including both upper and lower extremities to include both knees, was not incurred or aggravated by active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video teleconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the Atlanta, Georgia RO. The issues include reopening his claim for bilateral pes planus and seeking service connection for various disabilities.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including providing VCAA notice and scheduling an orthopedic examination to evaluate his left knee condition.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a right knee disease or injury in service, and thus the veteran's current right knee disability cannot be linked to his military service. As such, the claim for service connection for a right knee disability is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral knee disability, including degenerative joint disease, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to address service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's claimed disabilities and readjudicating all issues on appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have degenerative joint disease of the right knee, left knee, or right shoulder as a result of service. The evidence shows no chronic disability involving these joints in service and no arthritis was identified within one year of separation from active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear, low back disability including arthritis, bilateral hip disability including arthritis, and bilateral knee disability including arthritis. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, maintaining that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his disabilities.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including additional examinations to assess the severity of his osteomyelitis and whether it has caused or aggravated his cardiovascular disease.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disorder, characterized as postoperative residuals of a right knee injury, warrants a noncompensable (0%) rating since April 11, 2002. The evidence does not support a higher rating.

The veteran's claims are being remanded to the RO for a videoconference hearing and further development.

The Board found no evidence of any current right or left knee, hip, or back disorders attributable to the appellant's military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for her degenerative arthritis of both knees, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only, as he does not have loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a back disorder and bilateral knee disorders, as well as his claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for glaucoma. The appeal is not about service connection at all.