Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee, neck, and back disabilities are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis and increased the disability rating for ankle disability to 30 percent, effective May 13, 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of low back disability, bilateral knee disability or headaches that were incurred in or aggravated by service.,Service connection for these conditions is denied as there is no evidence of record showing such disabilities during active duty service and no competent medical evidence linking any current disabilities to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right knee disability, left knee disability, and hypertension. The Veteran's disabilities are found to be at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of his left knee disability and granted it. The other issues on direct basis have been denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right knee disability is related to his active duty service, while his left knee disability does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not service connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service and there is no evidence of a nexus between his current right knee condition and his military service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support secondary service connection for his right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right knee, left knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, low back, right eye, or left eye disability that is service-connected. The blood condition claim was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is proximately due to his service-connected bilateral pes planus status post triple arthrodesis of the left foot, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The lumbar spine disability claim is denied as there is no evidence it is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disability (COPD and chronic bronchitis) and a left knee disability. The effective date of the grant is not specified as it was determined that the Veteran's claims were pending since September 6, 2006.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left knee conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, including her service-connected thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint and disc disease.,Service connection for a right knee disorder was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The left knee condition was also denied due to lack of in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and review of his medical records.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his claims for higher ratings were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's headaches are rated at a maximum of 50% since February 6, 2015.,An earlier effective date for the grant of TDIU prior to August 31, 2010 is denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 30 percent since October 1, 2014. The Board granted an increased rating for his right knee disability and denied service connection for hypertension.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current left knee disability and therefore, the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the case to arrange for an orthopedics examination of the Veteran to determine the nature and etiology of all of his current knee, leg, and ankle disabilities. The examiner is asked to furnish an opinion as to whether each disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his left knee disability has been rated at the maximum allowable under the applicable rating criteria and there are no additional issues to be addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a higher rating for his left knee disability prior to January 9, 2014. For the period from March 1, 2015, the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for a mood disorder, lumbar spine degenerative changes, and right knee sprain/spurring. These conditions are presumed to have existed prior to service.,Service connection is also established for these conditions as they are related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.