Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and/or opinions, as well as obtaining relevant treatment records from the VA clinics in Oakwood, Georgia, and Huntington VAMC.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, stating that he is satisfied with the recent rating/award letter.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims and found that there is new and material evidence to support service connection for a left hand disorder, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and neck disorder. The diagnoses are supported by private medical records and VA examinations. The in-service injuries have been established, and the relationship between current disabilities and service has also been established.

The Veteran's right knee disability was reduced to a 10 percent rating in June 2015, but the Board has determined that restoration of the 20 percent rating is warranted based on evidence showing improvement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hammertoe, left knee arthritis, and right knee arthritis disabilities are not etiologically related to service. As such, the claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated as 10 percent disabling, and his left knee disability prior to July 9, 2012, was also rated at 10 percent. From September 1, 2013, the Veteran's left knee disability has been rated at 60 percent due to chronic residuals of total knee replacement.

The Board has ordered the VA to attempt to obtain a consultation report from Dr. P.V., who provided an opinion linking the Veteran's current left knee disability to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of the record.

The Veteran's posttraumatic osteoarthrosis of the right knee is etiologically related to active service, and the Board finds in favor of granting service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been found to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of TDIU effective March 23, 2013.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and left knee disability were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of a current disability at the time of filing, and there was insufficient medical evidence to establish a link between the conditions and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that his current condition is not related to his military service or his service-connected claw toes.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease is service connected and a compensable rating of 10 percent has been granted for his right thumb-right index finger disability. The higher rating claim for the right knee remains pending.

The Veteran withdrew his claim for an increased rating for his right knee disability in a statement dated April 2012, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's knee and lumbar spine conditions have been rated based on their current severity.,No separate rating for left knee meniscectomy is warranted as the condition does not result in symptoms.

The Veteran's appeals for left knee disability, bilateral eye disability, and hypertension were dismissed due to the failure to file a timely substantive appeal.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by meniscus impairment with pain, locking and effusion in the joint, has been rated at 20 percent since September 17, 2001. The Board finds that a higher rating is warranted due to frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion into the joint.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of right ankle sprain, left tibia fracture, bilateral shin splints, or a left knee injury and therefore denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding that his current knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service and are not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.