Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disability, low back disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral ankle disability. The Veteran's scars on the chest, shoulder, and back are also found to be related to his military service.

The Board found that the appellant's current right knee disability, including advanced osteoarthritis and a history of partial menisectomy and chondroplasty, was not present during active service or within one year of separation. The Board also determined that it is not causally related to his in-service shrapnel wounds or any other incident therein.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities. The primary reason is that there are no current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development to determine the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure or follow gainful employment.

The Board has determined that there is no diagnosed disability of the hips, thighs, or knees at any time during the appeal period. The Veteran's complaints are attributed to a somatoform disorder and not a physical condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back and right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition during the periods on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his right knee condition, including whether it was caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability, specifically bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's combined schedular disability rating was 100 percent, and he is contending that he is unemployable due to a combination of these same service-connected disabilities. The criteria for the assignment of a TDIU are not met.

The Veteran is unemployable as a result of his service-connected disabilities, specifically the bilateral lower extremities.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU and his service-connected disabilities prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his tear of the medial meniscus of the left knee is being remanded due to inadequate examination and missing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability. The appeal is currently in remand status.

The Veteran is granted a 10 percent rating for degenerative joint disease of the right knee prior to February 3, 2017.,The Veteran is granted a 30 percent rating for status post total left knee replacement with scar from April 1, 2014.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent prior to March 18, 2014 and remains at 20 percent thereafter.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to his time in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals concerning each issue, resulting in their dismissal.

The Veteran's left knee disability, post-total knee replacement, resulted in slight instability and limited flexion to 110 degrees. The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for the instability.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a back disability and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic back disability present during active service or within one year after separation. The appellant's current back disability is not considered related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral knee arthritis is found to be secondary to her service-connected retropatellar pain syndrome with bursitis, and she is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The Veteran's left knee disability is denied as not incurred in or caused by service.