Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's kidney cancer is presumed to be connected to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for his right knee condition, left knee condition, and right shoulder conditions based on a presumption of exposure to contaminated water.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has also been raised by the record.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders, hypertension, and loss of vision in the right eye are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions with service. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is currently rated noncompensably disabling.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by arthritis with painful motion, warrants a combined rating of 20 percent (10 percent under Code 5003 and 10 percent under Code 5257) prior to July 12, 2011. From that date, the Veteran is entitled to a separate 10 percent rating for instability.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his right knee and left knee disabilities have been denied. The right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling under DC 5260, while the left knee disability is rated as 10 percent disabling under DC 5260.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of chronic knee symptoms since separation from service. The back disability was found to be due to an autoimmune condition (ankylosing spondylitis), unrelated to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his service and denied his claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability. The Veteran will be provided with an opportunity to appeal the decision if it remains denied.

The Board found the Veteran's service-connected disabilities met the schedular criteria for TDIU, but his employability status was unclear due to mixed reports of employment and unemployment. The case is REMANDED for further development including obtaining a VA Form 21-8940 from the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right and left knees, finding that they were not related to his service-connected hip disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 16, 2015.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 60 percent for the periods from December 1, 2013 to September 2, 2014 and from November 1, 2015. The highest schedular evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5055 is 60 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a neck, back, or left knee disability etiologically related to his active duty service.,There is also no evidence of diabetes mellitus, type II in the record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further action, including scheduling a video-conference hearing and updating his mailing address.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis was not shown during service or for years after service, and the weight of the competent, probative medical opinion evidence on the question of medical nexus to service weighs against his claim.

The Veteran is unemployable due to her right knee disability for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee patellofemoral syndrome and lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including new VA examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's right knee disability and its impact on his ability to work.

The Board granted a 60 percent rating for the total right knee replacement due to chondromalacia and degenerative arthritis, effective April 21, 2015. A separate 10 percent rating was also granted for chondromalacia of the left knee prior to April 21, 2015, with a separate compensable rating for flexion since that date.