Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gout of the bilateral knees and ankles are service-connected as they have been shown to be related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, left ankle disorder, left Achilles tendon disorder, and bilateral knee disorders were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between his current conditions and military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the issue of entitlement to an increased disability evaluation in excess of 30 percent for total right knee replacement (previously rated as status post, medial meniscal tear, right knee) from March 1, 2013.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee disability is not service connected, as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service and the medical opinions do not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability is not service connected as it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability. The claim for increased evaluation and TDIU are also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board finds that the evidence is against a finding of current disabilities related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disorder preexisted service and was not aggravated by it. The examiner concluded that there is no evidence of permanent aggravation due to his service-connected right ankle and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected right knee disabilities and to determine if any flare-ups have occurred. The case will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board found that the Veteran's right foot disability existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying service connection for his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal includes a pending claim for service connection of left knee disability and the propriety of reducing his rating for low back strain from 20 to 10 percent. The Board has not addressed the merits of these issues, leaving them in a 'mixed' disposition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative arthritis and instability, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and failure to issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Veteran's left knee disability was initially rated at 10 percent prior to June 13, 2014. Since then, the rating has been increased to 20 percent from June 13, 2014 to the present day.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance at a higher level of care, finding that he did not meet the criteria for anatomical loss or use of extremities as defined by 38 C.F.R. § 3.350(f).

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for a left knee scar was denied as the evidence did not show any additional functional impairment or disabling effects not considered under the schedular criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, psychiatric disorders, left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right knee disorder that was incurred in service or is otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine and right knee disabilities are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees have been evaluated as tenosynovitis, with no additional disability found warranting a higher rating.