Knee decisions — 2005

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the right knee disability effective from May 10, 2000. Prior to that date, the veteran was rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right leg, foot, ankle, knee and low back disorders are not related to his service. The pre-existing fractures did not worsen during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic acquired low back disorder, bilateral knee disability, and arthritis of the legs, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee and an increased rating for residuals of left wrist fracture, but granted a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right knee disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's right knee disability was manifested by traumatic arthritis prior to May 1, 2002. The medical evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and special monthly compensation is being remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records related to his award of Social Security Disability benefits.

The Board found that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as the veteran's recent statements were largely duplicative of previous assertions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and determining whether a January 2005 Supplemental Statement of the Case was issued.

The Board finds that the veteran's spouse was in need of regular aid and attendance due to her physical disabilities, including a stroke resulting in hemiparesis and wheelchair use. The claim is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative disc disease at L4-5 and L5-S1 was not caused by his time in service, and denied the claim. The right knee disability is pending further development.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and denied initial ratings in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left knee and in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right hip.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right lower leg disability, left lower leg disability, and bilateral knee disability. The examiner found no evidence linking these disabilities to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including assigning separate ratings for left hip and left knee disabilities.

The VA granted a 10 percent disability rating for arthritis of the right knee, effective July 1, 2004.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board found that the claimant's left knee disability, including traumatic arthritis, did not have an onset during active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in 1957 and was not aggravated by service. Therefore, it denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran is presumed to be totally disabled (due to permanent disability) for VA pension purposes.

The Board found no evidence of a right knee disorder, ulcer, or gastrointestinal disorder in service and denied the claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings for his service-connected disabilities.