Knee decisions — 2015

The Board has decided that the Veteran's death may be related to his service-connected disabilities, and thus remands the case for further development including obtaining VA medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the issues of increased ratings for left and right ankle disabilities due to procedural errors in reducing their ratings from 20% to 10%. The Veteran's service-connected ankle disabilities are rated under Code 5271, which provides for a 10% rating for moderate limitation of motion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the claimed conditions, including left knee osteoarthritis, low back degenerative disc disease, hemorrhoids, bilateral foot osteoarthritis, and respiratory disability (COPD).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a heart disability rated at 60 percent and other conditions, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience. The Board finds that he meets the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee patellar tendonitis and chondromalacia are etiologically related to active service, thus granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his right and left hip disabilities, finding that they are secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus and/or bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for right total knee arthroplasty is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining VA vocational rehabilitation records and any outstanding treatment records. The TDIU claim will also be remanded to issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right knee DJD and instability, as well as left knee DJD, were denied. The claim for a higher rating for cervical spine DJD was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee degenerative joint disease are service-connected, as they are considered to be directly related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits were denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU prior to February 4, 2009. The Board also found that there was no evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities during this period.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's heart disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and low back disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to her request for a video-teleconference hearing. The case will be returned to the AOJ after the scheduled hearing.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for fatigue and granted service connection for schizophrenia, but denied all other issues on appeal.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's current right knee, left knee, right foot, and left foot disabilities are found to be secondary to his service-connected bilateral hip and lumbar spine disabilities.