Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted payment or reimbursement for the cost of medical treatment received at Banner Del Webb Medical Center on October 15, 2011 due to a prudent layperson's expectation that immediate medical attention was necessary.

The Board denied service connection for hernia disability and left knee disability, finding no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent for limitation of motion during flexion, and a separate rating of 20 percent is granted for dislocation of semilunar cartilage.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disability clearly and unmistakably preexisted his active service, and if it did, whether it was aggravated by service. Another VA addendum opinion is needed to address these issues.

The Veteran's left and right foot disabilities, as well as his left and right knee disabilities, are all granted service connection. The Veteran's cervical spine and back conditions, as well as his asthma, are remanded for further examination.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected lateral instability of the left knee due to incomplete testing in previous examinations.

The Veteran's service connection for a left knee disability is granted. An initial increased rating of 30 percent for his service-connected muscle herniation with scars is granted, but the issue remains on appeal as only part of the period on appeal has been addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, left total knee replacement, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot arthritis and plantar fasciitis, as well as degenerative joint disease of the left knee. The conditions are considered to have been incurred in service.

The Veteran's right knee DJD and instability were granted initial ratings of 10 percent each, effective December 30, 2014. The criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee DJD have not been met.

The Veteran's right knee instability is rated at a 10 percent disability rating effective September 9, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Veteran's current knee conditions are presumed to be due to his in-service exposure to rough terrain and jumping from helicopters.

Entitlement to a higher rating for PTSD with associated depression and anxiety is denied. The Veteran's symptoms are more closely approximated by a 50 percent disability rating.,Entitlement to TDIU is denied as the evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for right knee and lumbar spine disabilities, so the claims are dismissed.

The Board has granted a 60 percent disability rating for the left knee disability from February 1, 2018. The Veteran's right hip and left hip disabilities are rated as noncompensable under Diagnostic Codes 5003-5252.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for such a higher rating.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral pes planus and calcaneal spurs of the feet as secondary to bilateral knee replacements. The issue of service connection for OSA, secondary to PTSD, is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to an incomplete VA examination for the Veteran's right knee arthritis. A new examination is needed to assess the current severity of his service-connected disability.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus. Service connection is dismissed for sleep apnea. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a right knee disability, neurological disabilities of both hands, and will be addressed in a future decision.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left hip disability. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.