Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for dementia, vertigo (lightheadedness/dizziness), migraines, and abdominal scar. The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, bilateral bunionectomies, gout, hypothyroidism, heart disease, hypertension, left hand arthritis, right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, and lumbar spine disability are denied as not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for updated medical records, examinations, and development of his TDIU claim.

The Board has found that additional development is needed prior to final adjudication of the issue on appeal, including a new VA examination. The Veteran's right knee disability will be remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's initial ratings for various knee and shoulder disabilities, as well as his headache disability, have been granted. The right knee disability was initially rated at 10 percent prior to February 1, 2012, then upgraded to 30 percent since April 1, 2013 due to the need for a total knee replacement. For the left knee, he received a 30 percent rating from July 29, 2019 onwards, with limitations on extension and flexion. The right shoulder disability was initially rated at 20 percent prior to July 29, 2019, then upgraded to 40 percent since that date. For the left shoulder, he received a 30 percent rating from August 22, 2019 onwards. His headaches were initially denied but granted with a 30 percent rating starting February 15, 2018.

The Veteran's musculoskeletal disabilities of the right leg and arm are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's residuals of right knee injury, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that this condition is related to active military service.

The Board has decided the rating for ulcerative colitis and remanded other issues related to service connection.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, individual unemployability, and increased rating for right foot status post neuroma excision with residual scar. The decision also mentions that Social Security Administration records should be obtained.

The Board has remanded the issues regarding ratings for right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient basis in the June 2019 VA examination report. The Veteran is presumed to seek the maximum available benefit, so the issue remains on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee and foot disabilities are found to be sufficient to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's right knee instability is granted with a separate 10 percent rating since January 14, 2016. The left knee disability remains at a 10 percent rating for flexion and extension.

The Board denied service connection for left knee and right knee disabilities, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of the left knee are rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of more than limited flexion.

The Board has found that the VA examinations were inadequate for rating purposes and remanded the case for further development. The issues of entitlement to separate ratings for right knee lateral aspect scar, left knee lateral instability, and right knee lateral instability are all being remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 60 percent for the periods from April 1, 2015 to January 31, 2018 and from June 1, 2018. The appeal is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, bilateral ankle disorder (secondary to knees), and lumbar spine disorder (secondary to knees) due to in-service physical demands during basic training.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left knee disability. However, the issue of secondary service connection for hypertension is remanded due to inadequate reasoning in the previous decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current knee disabilities and his military service. The Veteran needs to provide information about any private treatment records, and a VA examination is required to determine if there is a connection between his service and his knee pain.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination of the Veteran's knees. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or diagnosis that would support a grant of benefits.