Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disorder and heart disorder were not incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hallux rigidus, major depression, left TKR, residual abscess of the left breast, and right knee DJD, effectively preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, and a 10 percent rating was assigned. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings and earlier effective dates are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development and adjudicative action due to inadequate examination opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee and right foot disabilities. The case is now pending further review.

The Veteran's PTSD and knee conditions do not meet the criteria for a 100% rating, and his TDIU claim is denied due to his ability to engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient rationale in previous VA examination opinions regarding the Veteran's employability.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability did not originate in service or until years thereafter, and it is not otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder but denied service connection for right and left knee disorders. The decision is mixed as it grants one claim and denies two.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disorder and skin disorder (vitiligo), finding no evidence of chronic conditions during service or within one year post-service, and concluding that any current conditions are not related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability did not warrant a higher rating, and denied his claim for a temporary total rating due to surgery necessitating convalescence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and right knee disabilities are at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the percentage standards for a TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). However, given his vocational opinion and testimony indicating he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, the Board has determined that extraschedular consideration may be warranted.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including DJD and residuals of total knee replacement, has been rated as 10 percent disabling prior to February 22, 2013. Since April 1, 2014, the Veteran is entitled to a rating in excess of 30 percent for his residuals of total knee replacement.

The Board has denied reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee pain, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses of DJD in the left knee and meniscus tear in the right knee are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's left knee disability, post-operative repair of ruptured tendon, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has granted a separate rating for left knee instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right or left foot disorder, or right or left knee disorder, that is related to his active duty service. As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities did not originate in service or until years after service, are not otherwise etiologically related to service, and were not caused or aggravated by service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and to schedule a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability and increased the initial rating to 30 percent. The Veteran's current left knee pain is attributed to a post-service injury during service, which resulted in chondromalacia.