Knee decisions — 2005

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for tendonitis of the left knee, effective January 15, 2002.

The Board has determined that the veteran sustained a right knee injury during INACDUTRA and that there is at least equipoise evidence regarding whether his current right knee disability is linked to this injury. Therefore, service connection for residuals of a right knee injury is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and other conditions, rendered him materially less capable of resisting the effects of other diseases primarily causing his death.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral knee condition and is granting it, as new evidence supports this conclusion.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and a right hip disorder, finding that there is no new and material evidence to reopen these claims.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the RO denied an increased rating.,Service connection for arthritis of both knees was not granted. The veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left hand remains at a noncompensable rating.

The veteran's appeal was denied as the claims for increased ratings and TDIU were not granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis as secondary to the veteran's service-connected right knee Pellegrini-Stieda disease.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claims for bilateral knee disorder, hookworm infestation (claimed as a skin condition), and kidney disorder manifested by hematuria. The claim for service connection for porphyria cutanea tarda is denied. The appellant's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance of another person.

The Board has found no evidence of current disabilities related to service for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, low back disorder, or bilateral knee disorder. The veteran's claims are therefore denied.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that they did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on their current symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination and obtaining medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee injury with instability and left knee arthritis, finding that the disability did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disorders, including a meniscal tear and mild patellar osteoarthritis, are not etiologically related to service or a service-connected left knee disability. The record does not support a presumption of arthritis due to in-service exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities and service connection for a skin rash. The right knee disability was rated at 10 percent, while the left knee disability remained at 10 percent. Service connection for the skin rash was not granted.

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

The Board has denied service connection for headaches and granted a 10 percent initial rating for left knee disability, finding no underlying pathology for the headaches and noting current limitations in range of motion.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, right foot disability, and headaches were denied. His claim for an initial compensable evaluation for his service-connected right ear hearing loss was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current left knee, cervical spine, thoracic spine, and lumbar spine disabilities are not causally related to his active service or any incident therein.