Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's left knee condition, including arthritis and chondromalacia, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board found that the symptoms did not warrant a higher rating or separate ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 17, 2011 for a combined 60 percent disability rating for his service-connected left knee disabilities (degenerative joint disease; limitation of flexion; limitation of extension; instability). The evidence did not show that the Veteran met the criteria for separate disability ratings prior to September 17, 2011.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee arthritis is service connected as it likely developed due to his pre-existing left knee, right ankle, and right hip disorders.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining the Veteran's service treatment records. The appeal is currently in a pending status.

The Board has determined that further action is required to properly evaluate the Veteran's left knee disability, including assessing functional loss due to flare-ups and repetitive use over time. The case is REMANDED for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the Veteran's incarceration and inability to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is rated at 20 percent prior to February 4, 2015 and at 30 percent as of that date. The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is rated at 10 percent. The Board granted the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations from December 1990 to May 1991 is considered qualifying. The Board finds that the Veteran's joint pain, which has been present for more than six consecutive months and meets criteria for a presumptive service connection due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not individually or collectively preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, particularly of a sedentary nature.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is at least 80 percent, and he meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The Board finds that his disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities. The Veteran's scars of the right upper abdomen, right lower abdomen, and right lateral chest have been rated as noncompensable prior to May 2, 2014, but were combined into a single rating of 10 percent effective from that date due to painful nature. Higher ratings for these scars are also granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and National Guard medical records, as well as new VA examinations to assess his thoracolumbar spine disability and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is found to have caused his coronary artery disease (CAD). The Board grants the claim for service connection for CAD.

The Veteran's left hip disability, including the period from May 8, 2013 to July 31, 2014 when a total hip arthroplasty revision surgery was performed, has been rated at 30 percent since December 21, 2010. The Board found that for the periods prior to and after this period, the disability did not warrant an increased rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during the period of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastric ulcer has been granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding that his current gastric ulcer is related to active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and thus grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen any of his claims. The breathing problems claim is considered secondary to asbestos exposure, but no specific evidence has been provided. Service connection for depression and right knee disability are also denied.