Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's left knee disability is not service-connected.,From August 12, 2009 to March 14, 2011, the Veteran received a rating of 20 percent for his right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and lumbar spondylosis as these conditions were aggravated by the appellant's service-connected right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and active service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left and right knee disabilities were denied as there is no evidence of limitation of motion that would warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of evidence regarding an aircraft/vehicle accident in Germany. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and back disorders are now before the Board.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found that the criteria for a higher rating were not met for his bilateral knee disabilities, but granted an additional 10 percent rating for instability of each knee.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee condition had its onset during a period of active duty and has persisted since service, granting entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee conditions were denied. The maximum schedular rating of 30 percent was maintained for the relevant periods.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance is denied as he does not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities, finding that they did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service connected as there is no evidence of its onset within one year after service discharge and the medical opinions do not support a finding that it was caused or aggravated by service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include depression, as the Veteran's current condition did not manifest in service or within one year of separation from active duty. The Board also denied service connection for right and left knee disorders due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection was also denied for type II diabetes mellitus because it first manifested more than a year after separation from service, and there is no evidence that the Veteran had diabetes during service or within one year post-service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from April 16, 2003. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether his service-connected disabilities alone precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment on an extraschedular basis effective April 16, 2003.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and his left knee disability is also rated at 10 percent. Both knees have limited range of motion due to pain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU prior to June 11, 2015. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence was against a finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae and a left knee disorder, including as secondary to his right knee condition. The VA will obtain relevant medical records and provide new opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in service, is not secondary to a service-connected condition, and there is no evidence of aggravation during his second period of active duty. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability did not have its onset in service, was not shown to be related to his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities, and is therefore denied. The issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete service treatment records and other issues.