Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disease and arthritis of the right knee.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee disability, and back disability are found to be aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. Service connection is granted for these conditions on a secondary basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left or right knee disabilities and finds that these conditions are not related to service. The Board also found no evidence of aggravation of any pre-existing knee disability by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 10 percent prior to January 20, 2015 due to painful range of motion. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of flexion or extension.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, and is unemployable as a result of these conditions.

The Veteran's right ankle, bilateral knee, and left foot disabilities have caused his clothing to wear out faster due to the use of supportive appliances. The Board has found that reasonable doubt should be resolved in favor of the Veteran, granting an annual clothing allowance for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle fracture, left knee strain, and right knee strain disabilities have been rated as 10 percent each. The Board finds that these ratings are appropriate given the evidence of record.,The Veteran's left hand nerve damage disability has not warranted a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability warrants a 20 percent rating throughout the increased rating period on appeal, based on symptomatic removal of meniscus and limitation of motion.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU, but refers the issue to the Director of Compensation and Pension Services for extraschedular consideration due to his inability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no direct service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability and concluded that obesity, which is not service-connected, contributed to his disability. The TDIU claim was also denied as there were no service-connected disabilities rated at 60% or more.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, nor have they been shown to preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders, including arthritis, were not incurred in service or within one year of separation from service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or caused by service, and is not aggravated by any service-connected disabilities. As a result, the claim for service connection for right knee disability is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination and consideration of recent medical records.

The Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities are found to be related to his service-connected degenerative disc syndrome of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn them.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA records and providing a VA orthopedic examination to address the current severity of any residuals of a left knee injury with degenerative joint disease. The examiner is also requested to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any right knee, left shoulder, cervical spine, or lumbar spine disorder is aggravated by the service-connected left knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing and further development of his claims.

The Board has ordered a remand for additional development, including scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his right knee disability. The appeal is currently in remanded status.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development and examination of the Veteran's knee conditions, including consideration of his testimony about continuous pain over 20 years and an incident of being hog-tied during training.