Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development and readjudication due to his failure to appear at a previously scheduled hearing, incomplete medical records, and other procedural issues.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for a neck disability, entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, and an increased rating for left knee meniscal tear. The claim for an earlier effective date for the left knee meniscal tear is also remanded.

The Veteran's right knee disability has increased in severity, and a new VA examination is needed to determine the appropriate rating.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a left knee disorder and an increased evaluation for PTSD due to insufficient evidence or further development being needed.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent from February 2, 2001, to October 28, 2013. Since December 1, 2014, the Veteran has been granted a 60 percent rating for his right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his left knee disorder and cervical spine/neck disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, including as secondary to his service-connected right knee tendonitis. The Board found that there was no evidence of arthritis in service or within one year after discharge and concluded that the Veteran's current left knee disorder is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various joint and spine disabilities due to the need for additional in-patient treatment records from an Air Force hospital in Thailand. The AOJ must provide a formal finding of unavailability for these records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle conditions due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities have been denied. The VA has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of more than the currently assigned ratings for the periods specified.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations to assess his service-connected bilateral knee disability and a medical examination for his bilateral shoulder condition. The matter is being remanded due to the Veteran's inability to attend scheduled examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU has been dismissed as the matter was specifically withdrawn by his attorney. The issues of TDIU have been dismissed for both time periods from July 3, 2008 to present and November 14, 2006 to July 2, 2008.

The Veteran's unspecified trauma disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's left knee instability is granted a separate 10 percent rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination regarding knee instability and prostheses.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee gout, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral ankle, knee, and low back disorders. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and service connection were dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he died during their pendency.

The Veteran's TDIU due solely to a service-connected TBI is granted as of March 25, 2013. SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1134 is granted from March 27, 2015, to May 8, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for her left and right knee strains, as well as separate evaluations for patellar laxity since August 13, 2021, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of her knee conditions.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for left knee arthritis, as secondary to service-connected DDD with spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and right knee osteoarthritis with total knee replacement. Additional addendum opinions are needed to address the Veteran's theory that changes in biomechanics due to other service-connected conditions have aggravated his left knee arthritis.