Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for VA examinations. The issues include left arm, left knee, head trauma residuals, and eye disability as secondary to head trauma.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10 percent disability rating for his right knee meniscal tear, ACL tear with surgery and resultant osteoarthritis is denied. The Board has also remanded the case to obtain updated treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for left knee and right knee conditions, finding no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition. Service connection was also not granted for a back condition due to lack of sufficient evidence.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed knee conditions is denied as there is insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee scars, degenerative arthritis, and instability due to unclear findings regarding her service-connected conditions and inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for hypertension is granted. The Board also remanded the issues of initial ratings for right and left knee disabilities.

Your right knee disability has already been granted service connection in a previous decision. This appeal is dismissed as the issue is moot.

The Veteran's left total knee replacement is rated at 60 percent, the maximum schedular evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5055. The Board finds that his symptoms of severe painful motion and weakness more nearly approximate this rating.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for a left knee disability should be remanded due to incomplete service records from his National Guard service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to asbestos exposure, diabetes mellitus type II, low back disorder, hypertension, vision loss, and sore throat. The Veteran is required to provide VA with release forms to obtain his private treatment records from relevant providers.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 50 percent on and after June 27, 2017. The Board has found the evidence does not support a higher rating for this period. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD and the right knee disability remains remanded.

The Board found that the issue of entitlement to a TDIU was part and parcel of the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for headaches. The appeal is remanded due to incomplete documentation, specifically the lack of completed VA Form 21-8904 and outstanding SSA records.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for right knee instability from patellofemoral pain syndrome, but the claims for increased ratings for other conditions related to the knees are remanded due to insufficient examination reports.

The Veteran's right knee, status post total arthroplasty, is rated at 60 percent from January 1, 2016 to June 3, 2016. A separate 10 percent rating for left knee slight instability and a 10 percent rating for symptomatic residuals of left knee meniscectomy are granted effective March 22, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right ankle and left knee disabilities due to incomplete medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities are causally related to his service, including periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (IDT).,Service connection is granted for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since November 1, 2012. The Board has granted an effective date of November 1, 2012 for the award of TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined disability ratings did not meet the schedular requirements and there was insufficient evidence showing he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a retrospective medical opinion.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of separate right hip disability and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim. The case is remanded for additional opinions regarding service connection for left hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing records and additional VA treatment records. The claims will be considered again after obtaining all relevant medical records.