Knee decisions — 2006

The veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, laryngitis, and actinic and seborrheic keratoses (claimed as dead skin) are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The veteran's arthritis of the hips, hands, and knees is also denied.,The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for further examination. The veteran is seeking service connection for a right knee disability that he believes was caused by his service-connected right foot disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance due to her inability to require regular aid and assistance, as defined by VA regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left elbow tendonitis and granted entitlement to service connection for other conditions. The veteran is not entitled to service connection for a chronic acquired left elbow disorder.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, low back, and psychiatric disabilities. The veteran's claims for left shoulder, wrist, knee, ankle, cervical spine, head injury residuals, and headache disabilities were also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, finding no current disability or evidence of in-service injury that would support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a residual scar from the right knee shrapnel wound, but denied service connection for any other right or left knee disability as not incurred in service.

The VA failed to provide timely and appropriate care, leading to the development of gangrene in the veteran's right foot. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of negligence or fault on the part of VA.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, chronic allergic rhinitis, arthritis of the left knee, and arthritis of the right knee with torn meniscus and popliteal cyst. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for the veteran's left knee disability as of July 1, 1995. The previous evaluations were denied.

The veteran's right knee disability has been evaluated at a noncompensable rating due to limitation of flexion not exceeding 45 degrees.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability and determine if he qualifies for TDIU benefits.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee disorder did not meet the criteria for an increased rating prior to June 2, 2003 and from August 1, 2004. The RO had previously assigned a 10 percent rating for the period prior to June 2, 2003 and a 30 percent rating effective from August 1, 2004.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and a low back disability, finding that the preponderance of the evidence is against these claims. The claim for service connection for a left knee disability was granted.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his ulcer disease and left knee disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation for either condition.

The veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for her service-connected migraine headaches, effective from the date of the initial grant of service connection.

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

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current left knee disorder as a result of his period of active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions due to disease or injury incurred in service, and therefore denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current residuals of a soft palate lesion, lung disorder, left knee disability, or left ankle and foot disabilities. These conditions were neither incurred in nor aggravated by service.