Other conditions decisions — 2005

The Board denied the appellant's claims for an increased rating for her service-connected chronic sacroiliitis and degenerative changes at L-4 to L-5 and L-5 to S-1, as well as her claim for service connection for a chronic gynecological disability. The RO continued the 20 percent rating for her groin strain injury with chronic sacroiliitis but denied both issues.

The appellant's income, after deducting allowable expenses, meets the criteria for death pension benefits as of 2005. The claim is granted.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for chronic giardia, finding that no new and material evidence was received prior to June 30, 1996.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for atrial fibrillation, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and transient ischemic attacks as they are not related to service or service-connected PTSD. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current eye disorder is not related to his period of active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The VA has determined that the veteran's left knee disability (synovitis) does not warrant a higher rating since June 2, 1999. The current rating of 10 percent is based on limitation of motion.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for varicose veins, thrombosis, and peripheral vascular disease of his lower extremities as secondary to his service-connected residuals of removal of a left heel spur.

The VA has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's dermatophytosis, effective from December 4, 2000.

The Board has determined that the appellant's discharge from the United States Army was under other than honorable conditions due to willful and persistent misconduct, specifically unauthorized absence without leave. As a result, the character of his discharge constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of the ankles or legs, and therefore service connection for arthritis is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic imbalance disorder is not related to his service or to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for disability compensation for a dental disability, finding that there was no evidence of a current dental or oral disability as defined in VA regulations.

The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection of chest pain, as the veteran's statements were cumulative and not related to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, finding no evidence of the disorder in service or within one year after separation. The Board also found that there was no presumption of herbicide exposure due to lack of service in Vietnam.

The veteran's service connection for residuals of cold injury was granted. Increased ratings were granted for the knees, with a rating of 10 percent each from March 26, 2003.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 23, 2001, for a 10 percent evaluation for chronic ulceration of the right lower extremity, status post skin grafts.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board finds that the veteran is not entitled to service connection for compensation purposes for his missing teeth as a matter of law due to lack of evidence showing loss of substance of body of maxilla or mandible.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right femur disability is remanded due to inadequate examination and missing VA medical records. The RO must obtain the veteran's VA outpatient medical records from Big Springs, Texas, dated from May 2002 to the present, arrange for a VA orthopedic examination, and readjudicate the claim based on de novo review.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right testicular disorder is related to his service and grants service connection for this condition.