Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and an addendum medical opinion to address whether any currently diagnosed right and/or left knee disorder preexisted service or is related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection for his right knee, bilateral hearing loss, deviated septum, pes planus, or hammer toes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including arthritis of the lumbar spine, hips, shoulders, and knees, as well as hypertension, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology since service separation.

The Veteran's right knee has been rated at 60 percent since May 1, 2015 due to chronic residuals following total knee replacement. He also had a rating of 30 percent for recurrent subluxation and instability from August 1, 2009, until March 11, 2014, and 20 percent for dislocated cartilage with frequent episodes of locking and effusion since May 1, 2015.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and attempting to obtain private medical records. The claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 10 percent prior to June 20, 2007 and increased to 30 percent effective August 1, 2008.

The Board denied service connection for heart disability and dismissed earlier effective date claims based on CUE in prior RO decisions for left knee, left shoulder, right shoulder, and sinusitis disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records, scheduling examinations, and providing VCAA notice.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back condition, cervical spine condition, bilateral hip condition, bilateral knee condition, left upper extremity neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and radiculopathy. The Board also found that a right ankle disability is not secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on the right knee disorder, dermatophytosis, and pes planus are being remanded due to a lack of VA treatment records. The case will be reviewed again after obtaining any relevant medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation for the period from February 28, 2011, to February 1, 2014.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip disabilities, right and left foot disabilities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities as secondary to his service-connected knee strains. The Veteran's current hip and foot conditions are not considered service connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the severity of his service-connected conditions, as well as to address whether he has a current left ankle disability related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims, including obtaining prison treatment records and addressing increased rating issues.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a current condition of the feet, ankles, or knees in service or for many years thereafter and concluded that these conditions are not related to service.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection and increased ratings are not ready for appellate review due to the need for additional development. The Veteran's low back, right knee, left knee, and major depressive disorder disabilities will be remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for vision impairment, bilateral arm disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and hypertension as there was no evidence of onset or aggravation during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his left knee disability, including range of motion testing under Correia v. McDonald.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of her claimed conditions.