Knee Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disabilities are related to his military service. The case will be sent back for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to conflicting findings regarding his right knee disabilities, including ankylosis. The claims will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU on both schedular and extra-schedular grounds.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral knee and right ankle disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right knee disorder, a left knee disorder, and a neck disorder. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence showing current disability.,Service connection is not granted for heart disease beyond cerebrovascular accident as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable prior to September 27, 2019, and 10 percent thereafter. The claim for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran’s painful surgical scar, status post left total knee replacement, was granted an initial 10 percent disability rating prior to October 28, 2019. The claim for a higher disability rating from that date forward is denied.,The Veteran's hypertension has not been manifested by diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more, and thus does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable disability rating.,The Veteran’s service-connected painful surgical scar was rated as noncompensable prior to October 28, 2019. The claim for a higher disability rating from that date forward is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a back disability and entitlement to TDIU, finding that there was no evidence linking his current back condition to his service-connected right knee disability or any other service-connected conditions. The Board also found that the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left hand, right hand, and left wrist disabilities secondary to the service-connected right wrist disability. The Veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated as 10% disabling from January 3, 2013 to February 13, 2013 due to a temporary total rating based on convalescence following surgery. For the period prior to and after this date, the Veteran’s right wrist disability is not entitled to an increased rating.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability and remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to June 9, 2016 due to insufficient clinical evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of various wrist, elbow, and knee disorders has been dismissed. The claims for psychiatric disorder, right wrist disorder, left knee disorder, right elbow disorder, left elbow disorder, and right-hand disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease prior to April 30, 2019 are service-connected. The Veteran is granted a 20% disability rating for the lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a low back disorder, and bilateral shoulder disorders have been reopened. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence supports these claims.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for a left knee scar was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show any scars being painful or unstable, and thus no higher rating could be assigned under Diagnostic Code 7804.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disorders due to lack of evidence showing a link between the conditions and active service.,No new or material evidence was submitted, and the existing evidence did not establish a relationship between the Veteran's current knee disorders and his military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for left knee disability was granted. However, the claims for both right and left knee disabilities were denied as there is no evidence linking the current conditions to service.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis and instability were evaluated at non-compensable levels prior to February 24, 2020. The claim for a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran's right knee instability was rated at 10 percent from October 23, 2017 to February 24, 2020. The claim for a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran's right total knee replacement has been assigned a 30 percent disability rating since April 1, 2021. The claim for a higher rating is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the evaluation of the Veteran's right knee baker's cyst and his claim for TDIU, as there are inconsistencies in the medical opinions provided. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has remanded the claim for a right knee disability due to inadequate opinion regarding whether it is related to service. The examiner must consider the Veteran's reports of pain and injury during service and since then.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased rating for lumbar spine disability, service connection for left knee disorder, and TDIU based on all service connected disabilities due to new evidence being associated with the record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, tension headaches, and scars of the bilateral shoulders and knees due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations.