Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service records from qualifying periods of Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) were not considered in the previous decision, and therefore remands are required to consider these periods.

The Veteran's combined disability rating of 40 percent from December 8, 2015 is correct. The appeal for service connection on the issues of left knee condition, right knee condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for a right knee condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar strain and myofascial pain, CRPS of the right hip, left knee and foot, right knee, and right ankle. The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective August 15, 2014.,An initial rating of 10 percent for left knee osteoarthritis is granted effective June 2, 2015. The Veteran also received a separate compensable rating of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve of the lower left extremity.

The Board has expanded the scope of the Veteran’s claims to encompass any knee or heart diagnosis raised by the record. The case is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current diagnoses and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities are denied, except that a separate 10% rating is granted for limited extension of the left knee.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for a left knee disability is granted. The Board finds new and material evidence in the form of medical treatise articles submitted by the Veteran's attorney, which supports a relationship between overuse injuries and arthritis development. As such, the claim for service connection for a left knee disability is reopened. However, the initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis remains remanded due to worsening symptoms since the last VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of various disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The Board will schedule the Veteran for a VA examination in accordance with regulatory requirements.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his right knee condition was denied. The reduction from 40 to 30 percent was upheld. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral pes planus and TDIU due to their interrelation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation as of December 20, 2012. An effective date of December 20, 2012 is granted for the award of total disability rating due to service-connected disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding that she does not have a current diagnosis of such a condition and that any pain she experiences is unrelated to her military service.

The Board has denied an increased rating for hypertension and remanded the issues of increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities and entitlement to TDIU. The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 20% due to diastolic pressure predominantly 110 or more, but his most recent blood pressure readings do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, right knee, left knee, and headaches are all related to his service-connected right ankle disability.,However, the VA examiners found that these conditions were not proximately due or a result of his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for a left knee disability and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has denied the reopening of claims for service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, bilateral foot disability, shoulder disability, hip disability, knee disability, sciatic radiculopathy, and acquired psychiatric/mental disabilities. The July 1997 decision remains final regarding the low back disability claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected right and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee and headache disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations that comply with recent court decisions.