Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure a complete record and fair evaluation of the Veteran's claims. Specifically, new examinations are required for her lumbar spine, left knee, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities, as well as obtaining any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that new and material evidence was not received to reopen his left shoulder disability claim. The Veteran's hearing loss and knee disabilities were also denied. His right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent, and his skin and wrist conditions did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee stress reaction and degenerative joint disease did not have onset during active service, were not manifested by arthritis within one year of service discharge, and are not otherwise etiologically related to active service. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back condition, right lower extremity nerve condition, and left lower extremity nerve condition are not established as service-connected. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right and left knee disabilities is being remanded due to incomplete records, need for a new examination, and additional pertinent information.

The Veteran's bilateral pterygium was found to not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,Service connection has been established for his bilateral knee and lumbar spine disorders, both of which are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining private medical records and providing a new VA opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and her bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection were denied. For bilateral hearing loss, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. For migraine headaches, the Veteran's period of service from May 25, 1982 to May 27, 1988 was dishonorable due to willful and persistent misconduct, thus preventing him from receiving VA benefits related to that period. Service connection for right and left knee disabilities were also denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at the maximum for cartilage, semilunar, dislocated, with frequent episodes of 'locking', pain, and effusion into the joint. The claim for increased rating has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the current evaluations assigned for his left knee, cervical spine, right knee disorder, low back disorder, migraine headaches, and hypertension were appropriate.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for bilateral hearing loss, knee disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, or left foot disability. Therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by slight genu recurvatum and limited range of motion, is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5263 for limitation of extension. The Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Veteran's right knee disabilities have been evaluated based on their current functional limitations, and no higher ratings are warranted as the evidence does not show limitation of motion or instability that would justify a rating in excess of those currently assigned.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

The Board has ordered additional development due to inadequate examinations, including the need for testing on pain during active and passive motion in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing conditions. The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for further evaluation.

The case is REMANDED to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and any pertinent private treatment records. The Veteran should also be scheduled for appropriate VA examinations to determine the current nature and severity of her lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate examination and reasoning in previous decisions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as per VA regulations, and there is no evidence of an extraschedular TDIU.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 20 percent prior to March 17, 2009 and increased to 60 percent from May 1, 2010. The right knee degenerative joint disease is currently rated at 30 percent. Service connection for low back disability, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and cervical radiculopathy of the right arm are granted as secondary to total left knee arthroplasty.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his left knee degenerative arthritis and total replacement was granted, with the initial rating of 20% for the degenerative arthritis prior to June 14, 2016, and a 30% rating for the total replacement from September 1, 2017. The claim is denied before that date.