Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee replacements and other conditions such as anxiety disorder, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board grants the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been rated based on their functional impairment, with the right and left knees each receiving a separate rating for lateral instability. The RO has granted increased ratings of 20 percent for recurrent subluxation and lateral instability of both knees as of February 21, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and determine if any additional functional loss due to pain or flare-ups should be considered in assigning a rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected back and right knee disabilities warrant increased ratings, but not to levels higher than those currently assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred or aggravated in service and is unrelated to his military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination of the Veteran's knees by an orthopedist to clarify the nature and severity of his knee disorders.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee and ankle disorders, and weak feet were denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability during service or that any current disabilities are related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain and right knee disability. The claims will be considered again after these steps are completed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to service and has denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is etiologically related to service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for functional impairment or instability. The Board also found no separate compensable rating was warranted for instability prior to January 23, 2014, and denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for instability beginning on that date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of his claims, including those related to left wrist, left knee, and shoulder disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders were not incurred or aggravated during service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a videoconference hearing before the Board. The issues of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, anxiety, right ear hearing loss, chondromalacia of both knees, and bilateral restless leg syndrome remain unresolved.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disorder is not causally or etiologically related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and left knee arthritis are found to have onset in service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current back and leg disabilities are not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of chronicity in service or initial diagnosis after service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities do not warrant a higher evaluation as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between his claimed conditions and his military service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome was onset during active service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of an increased rating for left knee degenerative arthritis is addressed in a separate remand.