Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of skin cancer is denied. The Board finds that the Veteran has established entitlement to SMC-L based on loss of use of his legs due to his service-connected back disorder, knee disorders and peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities. He also qualifies for SMC-O and SMC-R(1) based on need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left total knee arthroplasty and left knee impairment lateral instability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left foot cyst and left knee disability, finding that the preponderance of evidence does not support a relationship to service.

The combined effects of service-connected radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, chronic lumbosacral strain, and right knee disabilities do not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture that the available schedular ratings are inadequate for the period of August 27, 1991 through October 12, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to a Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). The Veteran's claims of service connection for low back and left knee disabilities are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities of the left knee, right knee, neck, and lower back are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of right or left knee disorders and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for his claimed back, bilateral hip, or left knee disabilities.,Therefore, service connection is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury, disease, or event to which these conditions can be linked.

The Veteran's right knee sprain warrants a rating of 20 percent effective March 1, 2017. The issues regarding left ankle fracture and TDIU remain unresolved.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis, right and left knee strains, and bilateral hip strains are related to service. The Veteran's current foot disabilities (right metatarsalgia and left pes valgus, plantar fasciitis) are also found to be related to service.,The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis, right knee strain, left knee strain, right hip strain, left hip strain, and right foot disability (metatarsalgia), as well as left foot disability (pes valgus and plantar fasciitis).

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his left ankle disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, and thus new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the previously denied claim.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU beginning June 11, 2012. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee, low back, and bilateral hip disabilities are not related to service. The acquired psychiatric disorder is also not related to service.

The Veteran's knee disabilities are rated at the maximum available rating of 20 percent for both knees, with no additional issues related to service connection or exposure basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for enthesopathy of the right and left knees, as well as right and left knee strain. The evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right or left knee disabilities and there is no evidence linking any such disabilities to service. As a result, the claim for service connection for right and left knee disabilities is denied.

For the entire period on appeal, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the criteria for a separate 10 percent initial disability rating for right knee instability have been more nearly approximated.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and requesting an addendum opinion from a qualified physician to address the Veteran's lay assertions regarding abnormal gait caused by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated based on limitation of motion, with the highest rating assigned for each knee being 10 percent.,Prior to September 2, 2010, the Veteran was not found unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection for PTSD, as there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor. The remaining issues on appeal were remanded and are currently pending.