Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that further examination and evaluation are needed to determine the nature of the Veteran's hypertension, eye disabilities, sinus disability, knee disabilities, hip disability, and whether he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and remanded the issue of secondary service connection for a left knee disability due to the right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for obtaining private medical records and for providing a new VA opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability. The service connection claims for left knee, right knee, bilateral pes planus, and bilateral hearing loss are still pending.

The Veteran's claim to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for a left knee disorder is granted. The claims of service connection for non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), diabetes mellitus, bilateral peripheral neuropathy, joint and muscle pain, cardiovascular disorder, fatigue and sleep disturbances, multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages, neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) is remanded. The claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral peripheral neuropathy, joint and muscle pain, cardiovascular disorder, fatigue and sleep disturbances, multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages, neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded. The claims of service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy, joint and muscle pain, cardiovascular disorder, fatigue and sleep disturbances, multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages, neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy is remanded. The claims of service connection for joint and muscle pain, cardiovascular disorder, fatigue and sleep disturbances, multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages, neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for joint and muscle pain is remanded. The claims of service connection for cardiovascular disorder, fatigue and sleep disturbances, multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages, neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cardiovascular disorder is remanded. The claims of service connection for fatigue and sleep disturbances, multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages, neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for fatigue and sleep disturbances is remanded. The claims of service connection for multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages, neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for multiple cerebral micro-hemorrhages is remanded. The claims of service connection for neuropsychological disorder, bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neuropsychological disorder is remanded. The claims of service connection for bilateral cataracts, and sleep apnea are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral cataracts is remanded. The claim of service connection for sleep apnea is also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent, effective August 2, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not show limitation of flexion to 30 degrees or any other compensable level for extension.

The Veteran's left total knee replacement is currently rated at 60 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code (DC) 5055. No higher rating is warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim for additional development due to a lack of combined effects and impairment assessment. The case will be returned to the Board after this is completed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for his bilateral knee disabilities due to deficiencies with VA examinations and duty assistance.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if his skin cancer and related conditions are related to service. The right knee and eye disorders remain under review.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to his military service and that any current condition is not due to his time in active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from maintaining gainful employment, and the Board denies his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and depression disorder have been sufficiently incapacitating as to prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, resulting in a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip degenerative arthritis, as well as his hammertoes of the feet and a foot disability are all granted.,Service connection is also granted for right bundle branch block. However, gout is denied.

The Veteran's BLE peripheral neuropathy is granted service connection. The issue of entitlement to service connection for BLE arthritis (knees) is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right total knee arthroplasty and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to February 7, 2019 were both denied by the Board. The denial was based on the evidence not showing severe residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness in the right knee.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle and left knee disabilities were denied. The claim for a separate rating for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage associated with patellofemoral pain syndrome with anterior tibial tendonitis, chondromalacia patella, Baker's cyst, and osteoarthritis, right knee was granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding whether the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome preexisted service and was aggravated by service. The claim will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disability, low back disability, and left shoulder degenerative disease (arthritis) due to a lack of credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's right elbow scar is granted service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran has a current lumbar spine disorder, but did not determine if it was related to his military service.