Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment and personnel records from his Enlisted Reserve Corps service.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left knee is not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder, hip, and knee disabilities are not related to his military service. The acquired psychiatric disorder is also not related to his military service.,As a result, the Veteran does not meet the criteria for TDIU as he does not have any service-connected disabilities upon which to base this claim.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for her bilateral knee and hip disabilities were denied due to failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the increased evaluation of left knee degenerative joint disease has been withdrawn by his attorney-representative.

The Veteran is not entitled to a TDIU rating as his service-connected Osgood-Schlatter's disease of the left knee does not render him unemployable.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and found that new evidence supports a finding of service connection for bilateral knee disability, including Osgood-Schlatter's disease, chronic tendonitis, and arthritis. The decision is based on the aggravation theory.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee DJD with subchondral lucency of the lateral femoral condyle and left knee chondromalacia and DJD, finding that these conditions originated in service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea. The right hip disability is found to be related to in-service injuries, while the bilateral knee disability is found to be related to in-service activities. Service connection is granted on a direct basis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is related to service. The Veteran will be asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain records of treatment prior to 2005 and any other relevant records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with the gastrointestinal disability receiving a 30% rating and neuropathy of the left toes (3, 4, and 5) receiving a 10% rating effective February 11, 2015. The right knee conditions received separate ratings.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to January 29, 2010, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

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

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Codes 5003-5257. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either knee.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability is not related to service, despite his contentions. The VA examinations and opinions concluded that the current left knee condition is less likely than not caused by a service injury.,There is no evidence of a diagnosed left ankle disability in service or at any time since service. The VA examination found the Veteran's left ankle to be normal.

The Board has granted a TDIU rating effective from December 2008 and an extraschedular rating for the Veteran's low back disability. The decision also found that her service-connected conditions have prevented her from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for gout of his bilateral ankles or knees, as there is no evidence of a diagnosis of gout during service and the current diagnoses are not related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a right knee disability and temporary total rating based on need for convalescence following surgery, finding that his current right knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral total knee replacement, low back disability and sciatic nerve disability did not have their onset in service or are otherwise related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.