Knee decisions — 2005

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected left knee injury, effective from the date of the initial decision. The right knee disorder is not considered service connected.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and determine if they are related to service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of work history records.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and a left knee disability, finding that the current conditions are not related to any in-service injury or condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and requests for additional evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a stomach disorder, right knee arthritis, and diabetes mellitus. The conditions were found to not be related to his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss of the left ear and right knee disability were denied. The claim to reopen a right knee disability was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's service-connected knee disorders do not render him unemployable, considering his educational and occupational background.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for synovitis of the right knee and degenerative joint disease of the right knee, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on instability or worsening arthritis.

The case is being remanded to the RO for DRO review and scheduling of a hearing before a DRO. The appellant's request for a personal hearing at his request should be addressed.

The veteran's left wrist disability is manifested by pain with repetitive movement, warranting an initial evaluation of 20 percent.

The Board found that the appellant does not currently have arthritis, other than gouty arthritis, of either knee and denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, as evidenced by his inability to dress himself, hold objects, walk without a cane, and feed himself. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on this need.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection for left foot, left knee, and lumbar spine disorders secondary to his service-connected right foot/ankle disorder.

The veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation benefits was denied because he did not complete the initial evaluation and planning phase, which included a psychological assessment. The VA determined that further evaluation was needed to determine if his proposed program of study was feasible.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities, including an amputation below the right knee, left ankle disorder, left knee disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and low back disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected left knee condition was denied due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The veteran's appeal involves multiple issues including PTSD, diabetes, and various musculoskeletal conditions. The RO is instructed to issue a statement of the case for these claims and afford the veteran an opportunity to perfect his appeals.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right and left knee disabilities did not begin during service or due to any incident of service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for higher evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as a subcutaneous mass of the occipital area of his scalp, were denied. The VA examinations did not find any significant impairment in range of motion or stability.