Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and left shoulder disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The Board found that arthritis was not noted during service within the meaning of section 3.303(b), and that any current disability is unrelated to service.

The Veteran's knee conditions have been rated based on their current functional impairment, with the highest rating of 30% for residuals of a right knee arthroplasty from July 1, 2010 onwards.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and ensuring all requested actions are completed.

The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection for bilateral foot disorder, left ankle disorder, low back disorder, and diabetes mellitus were denied. The Board found that the currently diagnosed conditions are not related to the service-connected right knee ACL repair residuals.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and arthritis of both knees are currently rated at 10 percent each, which is the maximum rating allowed under Diagnostic Codes 5260 and 5003. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, with the exception of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen claims for right foot disorder and left foot disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed degenerative joint disease of the right knee, left knee, and right shoulder are not related to service and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and hip disorders are not service-connected, as they were not incurred or aggravated by his active military service.,The Veteran's left ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Codes 5010-5271.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and lumbar spine disorder are all found to be related to his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis of the right knee, arthritis of the left knee, bilateral foot fungus, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension as these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities and for an earlier effective date for service connection for a chronic right knee strain.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the loss of his service records and need for additional research into his exposure to nuclear testing. The Veteran is also required to undergo VA examinations for his joint and foot conditions.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks, depression, and chronic insomnia is rated at 100% effective April 5, 2012. Ratings for patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left and right knees are each rated at 10%. The Veteran's carpal tunnel syndromes have not been evaluated separately.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he is entitled to TDIU for the entire rating period on appeal.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 30 percent for limitation of flexion since January 8, 2013. The claim for TDIU has been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the left knee with laxity, right knee sprain, and bilateral shoulder sprains.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's left knee disability, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board partially vacated its November 23, 2016 decision on the issues of increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities due to procedural errors.