Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right shoulder disability has been denied. His left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have each been granted increased ratings of 20 percent, effective May 4, 2010.,The Veteran is still employed but reports that his knees limit him to part-time work due to their condition.

The Veteran's back condition is connected to service and the Board has granted service connection for it. The case regarding the left knee condition and radiculopathy secondary to a back condition is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for a right knee disability due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service, including post-service treatment records showing no diagnosed disability.,Service connection for left knee disability is also denied as there are no in-service complaints or diagnoses and no continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right hip disorder and granted a 50% disability rating effective March 29, 2010. The reduction from 50% to 20% was not proper as there was no evidence of sustained improvement in the Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board finds that the medical evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's DJD of the left knee is related to his service-connected residuals of a left tibia fracture. Therefore, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's right knee genu varum deformity and traumatic arthritis are currently rated at 30 percent and 10 percent, respectively. The Board found no basis to grant higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's use of VA-issued forearm crutches for the year 2014 is sufficient to warrant a clothing allowance due to their consistent wear and tear on his clothing.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including arteriosclerotic heart disease and multiple other conditions, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee joint osteoarthritis and lumbosacral strain, finding that these conditions are related to her active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hiatal hernia with GERD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability. The left knee post-traumatic patella femoral pain syndrome has been rated at 10 percent since December 31, 2007.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has not been established. The Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards.,Service connection for tinnitus has also not been established. The VA examiner found that the onset of symptoms was post-service and related to occupational noise exposure.

The Board has determined that further development of the medical evidence is required to determine if the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee degenerative arthritis contributed to his death. The case is REMANDED for this purpose.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent for limitation of motion and instability, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claim for TDIU has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, and knee disabilities were denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service aggravation or a service-connected condition that caused the current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, effective March 12, 2010. The Board found that the evidence was in relative equipoise as to whether symptoms of left knee instability more nearly approximated slight lateral instability from March 12, 2010 to May 23, 2017, and granted a separate initial rating of 10 percent for this period. From May 23, 2017, the Veteran's left knee instability was found to more nearly approximate slight lateral instability. The Board also found that reasonable doubt should be resolved in favor of the Veteran regarding his TDIU claim on a schedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected left and right knee total arthroplasty residuals were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were reopened and granted effective May 30, 2013. The Board also determined that the Veteran is entitled to an effective date of May 30, 2013 for his low back disability, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, painful healed scar of the right forearm, and nonpainful healed scar of the right forearm.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues on appeal prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by instability and meniscal tear, warrants a separate rating of 20 percent for episodes of left knee cartilage 'locking,' pain, and joint effusion.