Knee decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and remanded his claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an initial rating for right ankle disability due to lack of contemporaneous VA examination. The Veteran is also required to provide evidence that his current conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current, separate disabilities in her hips, hands, fingers, knees, ankles, or feet that are distinct from her service-connected rheumatoid arthritis. As such, she is denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The knee disability was rated at 10 percent, with a separate rating of 10 percent for subluxation prior to November 5, 2012, and 20 percent thereafter. A TDIU was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have resulted in the loss of use of both lower extremities, such as to preclude locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair. Therefore, he is entitled to specially adapted housing.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including heart attacks/stress, pinched nerve in back, right hip condition, traumatic brain injury, and others. The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain his service personnel records.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee disabilities have been rated at the minimum 10 percent level. The case was remanded to provide a VA examination, which showed no higher than a minimum 10 percent disability rating for painful limitation of motion of the right knee.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development to obtain updated VA treatment records and provide an appropriate VA examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for left knee and ankle disabilities, but the current evidence does not definitively establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU has been granted since May 1, 2009. His service-connected disabilities have precluded him from substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.

The Veteran maintained gainful employment prior to January 26, 2005 and his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service records and for medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions did not have their clinical onset in service and are not otherwise related to ACDUTRA or secondary to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran testified at his hearing that he did not experience any knee injuries during service. The VA examiner found no evidence of injury in service and concluded that the arthritis was not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is due to or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee instability and subluxation, specifically his history of falling due to these conditions. A new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability prior to January 2014.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability did not meet the criteria for an extension beyond December 1, 2008 of a temporary total rating based on need for convalescence following surgery in July 2008.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an examination and opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities' impact on employment.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his left knee disability have been dismissed as he has withdrawn them.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated treatment records and a VA examination for his intervertebral disc syndrome. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.