Knee decisions — 2007

The Board determined that the cause of death, multiple myeloma, was not related to service-connected conditions and denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC claim.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his inability to attend the scheduled hearing. His case will be processed as though the request for a hearing had been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain medical opinions regarding the veteran's low back disorder and chronic joint pain of the hips, knees, and elbows as due to an undiagnosed illness related to service in the Persian Gulf War.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including the need for a VA examination to assess her Crohn's disease and joint conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral knee and hip disabilities, including osteoarthritis, are not related to service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The veteran is seeking compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for injuries sustained during a VA surgical procedure in September 2002, but there are questions about whether the surgeon was a VA employee or at a facility under VA jurisdiction.

The veteran's left knee synovitis with degenerative changes is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a left knee condition, and his left great toe contracture is not moderately severe. The residuals of a scar on the left foot do not cover an area exceeding 12 square inches or result in marked limitation of motion or ankylosis.

The veteran does not meet the basic eligibility requirements for assistance in acquiring specially adaptive housing due to his combined evaluation of 90 percent and lack of objectively demonstrated loss or use of either lower extremity.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for his right knee disability and service connection for stomach ulcers, gastritis, lumbosacral strain, and asthma. The medical evidence did not show that the veteran's service-connected right knee disability met or approximated the criteria for a higher evaluation under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service medical records and a VA examination to determine the etiology of the appellant's left knee condition. The issues include determining whether the appellant is entitled to service connection for his left knee condition and whether he is eligible for non-service-connected disability pension.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability and denied service connection for right knee disability and pulmonary condition. The left knee disability is attributed to active duty, while the pulmonary condition is not considered service-connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral knee disorder and low back and right hip condition are not etiologically related to service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a hearing before a traveling Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Phoenix, Arizona. The case will then be returned to the Board for further appellate review.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left knee disorder, low back strain, and right hand fractures were denied. The RO assigned a 10 percent evaluation to the residuals of a fracture of the second, third, and fourth fingers of the right hand effective as of August 16, 2004.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative osteoarthrosis of the right knee and assigned a 10 percent evaluation, but denied an increased rating beyond this initial evaluation.

The Board denied increased ratings for postoperative residuals of left knee injury and arthritis of the right knee, as well as service connection for a sinus disorder and anemia. The claim to reopen a psychiatric disorder and PTSD was also denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the hips, degenerative joint disease in the right knee (claimed as arthritis of the legs), deep venous thrombosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm (claimed as circulatory problems), peripheral neuropathy, and cold related injuries.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right knee disability, which includes degenerative joint disease and limitation of extension, warrants a 20 percent evaluation. The condition is currently rated as such since November 15, 2006.