Knee decisions — 2005

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including obtaining additional medical records and determining whether a claim for reimbursement of non-VA medical expenses was pending.

The Board has requested a VA opinion on the probability of bilateral knee disorders being the principal cause of the veteran's death. The case is remanded for obtaining toxicology and autopsy reports.

The Board found no pre-existing right knee disorder at the time of entry into service, and thus presumed sound condition. The veteran's current right knee disorder is not shown to be related to his active duty or any incident therein.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability and for service connection for a right knee disorder as secondary to his left knee injury. The veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right index finger cut, left knee disability, herpes, and dental disability were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving spouse without children. The claim for pension benefits is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current left knee disability, including his status post meniscectomy and chondroplasty, is not linked to service. The evidence did not show a continuity of symptoms or any link between the current condition and service.

The Board found that the veteran's current left knee disorder is not causally related to his active service, any incident therein, or any service-connected disability. Therefore, service connection for a left knee disorder was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's increased rating claims for residuals of a left knee sprain and residuals of a right leg fracture, finding that his disabilities did not warrant ratings higher than the current 10% evaluations.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a medical examination and further consideration of his claim for a higher rating for his right knee disability.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability. The case was remanded due to deficiencies in notification and assistance under the VCAA.

The veteran's combined disability rating is 50%, which does not meet the criteria for a TDIU. The RO found that his service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The case is being remanded for further development to determine if the injuries occurred during Active Duty Training (ACDUTRA) or Inactive Duty Training (IADT).

The Board found that the veteran does not have current disabilities for hypertension, high frequency hearing loss in the right ear, tinnitus, or a right knee disability. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA medical records and a need for additional examination.

The VA has denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his superficial shrapnel wound to the left knee, finding that it does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to April 10, 2002 for the grant of a non-service-connected pension due to lack of evidence showing entitlement arose before that date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and for compensable ratings for residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right forearm and multiple superficial retained shell fragments, involving the skull, eyes, knees, thoracic spine, and left arm and wrist.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his arteriosclerosis obliterans of the left leg and residuals of a left knee injury with chondromalacia, finding that the evidence did not support an increase in disability rating.