Knee Board decisions

Service connection granted for tinnitus and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, with a 10% rating assigned. PTSD is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 70%, but TDIU is denied.

The Board denied a claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected back and hand disabilities prior to March 28, 2014. The evidence did not show that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, but remanded the cases of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and hypertension due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral knee braces caused wear and tear on his clothing, leading to the grant of a clothing allowance for calendar years 2013 and 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected cluster headaches are currently rated at 50 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The Board denied an increased disability rating as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including strain, degenerative joint disease, patellar chondromalacia, and meniscal tear, is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to limited flexion (to at most 90 degrees) and no instability or locking.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities as well as low back disability due to lack of current evidence of a chronic condition related to active service.

The Board has granted a TDIU effective October 23, 2010 and dismissed the remaining issues on appeal. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment from that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. A medical opinion is needed to determine if these conditions caused or contributed to his cause of death.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to the need for additional medical examinations and records review.

The Board has restored the 20% and 10% disability ratings for left and right knee instability, respectively. The claims of increased disability ratings for bilateral knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy in the left and right lower extremities as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for erectile dysfunction was reopened, but not granted due to lack of evidence showing it is proximately caused by or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for osteoarthritis (right knee) is remanded.

The Veteran's left knee replacement disability remains rated at 30 percent, and the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for left foot disability. The remaining issues have been remanded due to lack of medical evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for right knee strain is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right knee limitation of flexion with pain is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 23, 2014 for the assignment of a 20 percent evaluation for right knee strain is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 23, 2014 for the assignment of a 10 percent evaluation for right knee limitation of flexion with pain is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication, including verification of all periods of service and obtaining any missing service treatment records.

The claim for service connection of various conditions, including a right knee disability and bilateral knee disabilities, is remanded. The Veteran's PTSD rating and TDIU are also remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral knee disability has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, his claims of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability, left foot crush injury residuals, residuals of fractured ribs, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and Guillain-Barre Syndrome remain denied.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral knee disability has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, his claims of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability, left foot crush injury residuals, residuals of fractured ribs, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and Guillain-Barre Syndrome remain denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen her claim of service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease and has also granted service connection on a secondary basis due to her service-connected right hip disability. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's left knee disability is proximately due to or aggravated by her service-connected right hip and right sciatica.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: the service connection for degenerative joint disease, right knee and the initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals, left proximal tibia stress fracture with degenerative changes, left knee. The Veteran's right knee condition is being examined again due to a lack of examination addressing secondary service connection, and his left knee disability needs another examination as it has worsened over time.