Knee decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of her left fifth toe disorder and clarification from Dr. S.A. regarding his opinion on the relationship between her current condition and service.

The Board found that the Veteran was not entitled to a TDIU prior to April 1, 2003 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded substantially gainful employment since May 1, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the passage of time and failure to reschedule VA examinations for her service-connected conditions, as well as new claims.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis and sleep disorder (DIMS). The Veteran's left knee disability is considered directly related to his military service, while his sleep disorder is found to be secondary to his cervical spine disability. An initial rating of 20 percent was assigned effective April 15, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied because there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service or an applicable presumption period. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim, as the Veteran did not have a right knee disability in service and it has not been related to any incident therein. For his bipolar disorder claim, the Veteran's claim was denied because there was no evidence showing that the condition existed prior to service or was permanently aggravated by service.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis and subsequent total knee replacement are found to be caused by his service-connected left knee arthroplasty, granting the claim for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for her service-connected right knee degenerative joint disease, lumbosacral spine disability, and headaches are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and his bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by chondromalacia patella with degenerative joint disease and post-surgical meniscectomies, does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, and his bilateral heel disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee and right shoulder disabilities have been granted, with the effective date set at the date of the decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for depression, lumbar spine, and right knee. The issues of service connection for a left knee disorder, right hip disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension were also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current right knee disability is etiologically due to his in-service injury while playing football. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a left hip disability is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board found no evidence of a current knee disability linked to the Veteran's active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee arthritis, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a VA orthopedic examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability was granted a rating of 10 percent prior to October 26, 2011 and since October 26, 2011. The right knee disability is rated at 10 percent.,Service connection for the lumbar spine disability was granted as secondary to service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and scheduling new examinations for his thoracic spine, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate September 2015 VA examination, and further opinion is needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee disability.