Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, including his total knee arthroplasty, is service-connected.,Service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to the service-connected right knee disorder is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including the effects of total knee replacement, meets the criteria for a combined 60 percent rating. Effective from August 2004, he is individually unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied due to lack of direct link to service. New and material evidence has not been submitted.,No effective date prior to July 1, 2011 is granted as the claim was received after that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition. The left knee disability was not found to be directly related to service. The back disability remains unclear as it pertains to a specific injury in service.

The Veteran was awarded a 100% disability rating for post-operative residuals of a right knee meniscectomy with traumatic arthritis, effective November 14, 2002. Basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance was also established on that date.

The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis was manifested by severe degenerative joint disease, with significant limitation of flexion and daily flare-ups that were a 10/10 in severity. The Board granted initial ratings of 30 percent for each knee prior to September 9, 2009.

The appellant's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's hip and knee disorders were not incurred or aggravated during her active duty service, are not presumed to have been incurred due to a disease or injury in service, and there is no evidence of chronicity after service. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent for limitation of motion, but the evidence does not support a higher rating. A separate 10 percent rating has been granted for slight instability of the left knee.

The Veteran's PTSD is service-connected.,His headaches are found to be secondary to his PTSD.,His low back disorder is service-connected as a result of injury in service.,No specific issues regarding bilateral knee or left hip disorders were addressed due to the withdrawal of appeal for these claims.,Tinnitus was granted based on combat exposure and noise trauma during service.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for a left ankle disability and a left knee disability, both considered presumptive due to undiagnosed illness related to her service in the Southwest Asia Theater of operations during the Gulf War.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examination and medical opinions.

The Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded for additional examinations to determine their etiology. The claims will be reconsidered after the new evidence is obtained.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with notification and scheduling of a VA examination, as well as obtaining relevant medical records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for his left knee condition will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence obtained.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee disorder, right shoulder disorder, and right ankle disorder. The evidence did not support finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current knee and foot disabilities did not manifest during her active service or any period of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA, and thus cannot be granted on a direct basis. The Board also found no evidence of chronicity of symptoms within one year after separation from active duty.

The Board has ordered a new VA opinion to determine if the Veteran's hip and knee disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability. The case is remanded for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a right hip disability, right knee disability, and erectile dysfunction due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to issue a statement of the case on these issues.

The Veteran's left knee disability warrants a 20 percent rating prior to February 19, 2014 for recurrent subluxation or lateral instability. From April 15, 2015, the Veteran is entitled to a 60 percent rating for his prosthetic replacement of the left knee joint.