Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left knee degenerative joint disease, and radiculopathy of bilateral upper extremities have been granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee degenerative arthritis, cervical spondylosis, and neck disability.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spondylosis are being remanded.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent each based on painful motion.,The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities, finding that flexion was not limited to 30 degrees or extension to 15 degrees.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome have been denied. The claim for tinea unguium has been remanded.,The Veteran is currently rated at 10% for each of his knee disabilities, but the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on current evidence.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU from December 1, 2013, to February 23, 2015. For other periods, his combined disability rating was sufficient for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disorder, right heel spur, and bilateral foot disorder (including plantar fasciitis), finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not incurred during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, and gastrointestinal disability (to include lactose intolerance) based on the Veteran's in-service symptoms and diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance due to the use of bialteral knee braces is denied as there is no evidence that these braces tend to wear or tear his clothing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus with valgus deformity, left hip degeneration, right hip arthritis, low back condition, and right knee condition. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining outstanding treatment records from Martin Army Community Hospital and Naval Hospital Pensacola.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left knee quadriceps tendonitis and atrophy, status post reconstructive repair was denied. However, the Veteran received a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability secondary to his service-connected disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a direct causal relationship between his service-connected conditions and his current right knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee arthrotomy is granted an increased disability rating of 30 percent, effective April 3, 2017. Separate ratings for left knee instability and symptomatic removal of the meniscus are also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to inadequate examination reports and unresolved issues related to his service-connected back disability, left orbital fracture, left knee tendonitis, and cholecystectomy.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if any diagnosed left knee disability had its onset in service or is otherwise related to the Veteran's reports of sustaining a fall or during physical training in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his service-connected right hip, thigh, and knee disabilities due to conflicting medical evidence regarding whether he has a muscle injury. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it may be affected by the outcome of these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to comply with previous remand instructions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of left, right knee disabilities and hip disabilities as well as low back disability. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 20 percent prior to November 8, 2013 and increased to 30 percent thereafter. The Board denied a rating in excess of these levels.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary for the Veteran to undergo VA examinations and obtain additional records in order to properly adjudicate his claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, right shoulder disorder, and bilateral knee disorder.