Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a temporary total evaluation due to treatment of his service-connected left knee condition is being remanded by the Board for further adjudication.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected tinnitus was denied as there is no legal basis for a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent or an effective date prior to August 21, 2013. The Veteran does not have other disabilities that would warrant separate evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam or any other overseas location where he could have been exposed to herbicides. Therefore, his claims for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disability, a right knee disability, a left knee disability, a lumbar spine disability, a right hip disability, a left hip disability, a disability manifested by right leg pain and swelling, a disability manifested by left leg pain and swelling, and chronic kidney disease cannot be granted on the basis of presumptive exposure to herbicides. The Board also found no direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the current appeal involves symptomatology similar to a previous claim, and thus new and material evidence is required to reopen the claim for service connection. The Veteran's bilateral knee disability was not incurred in active service.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder and hip conditions as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chronic subjective dizziness.,Service connection is also granted for a left knee condition, but additional development is needed due to conflicting evidence.

The Veteran's left knee, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities are found to be secondary to his service-connected pes planus.,An initial disability rating of 20 percent for bilateral pes planus is granted effective October 2, 2012.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and conducting an orthopedic examination.

The Veteran's right knee injury residuals are currently rated at 10 percent, and she is seeking a higher rating. The Board found the evidence insufficient to warrant a higher rating under DC 5257 for instability.,The Veteran has degenerative arthritis of the right knee, but her range of motion does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under DCs 5260 or 5261. She is therefore entitled to a separate 10 percent rating for arthritis with non-compensable limitation of motion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee instability and limitation of flexion have been denied as his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current allergy, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis are not service-connected. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his period of active service.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran's cervical spine, bilateral CTS, and left knee disabilities are related to her military service. The appeal is being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's right knee retropatellar pain syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, the minimum compensable rating. The evidence does not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other factors.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated at 10 percent for the entire appeal period. The Board finds that he is not entitled to a higher rating as his range of motion does not warrant such an increase.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing updated VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional examinations and for the issuance of a Statement of the Case addressing service connection for a left shoulder disability and increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the Veteran's ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disability, and for readjudication.

The Veteran's left knee disability is not service connected, but his low back disability has been rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines. The TDIU claim was granted on an extraschedular basis.