Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's staph infection is not service connected, but his left knee disability (patellofemoral syndrome) is found to be secondary to his right knee disability and granted.

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability ratings for right knee limitation of extension and instability to their previous levels, effective February 1, 2011. The current ratings are in line with the evidence showing no improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus denied his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, hypertension, and degenerative joint disease with chondromalacia of the right knee, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The case is being remanded for further clarification on his current employment status.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination of the knees and another VA examination to determine the current severity of his rhinosinusitis.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to December 28, 2009 and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent since then.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a higher rating for his left knee disability from July 1, 2011 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show sustained improvement over time such as to justify reducing the current 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities were denied as he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, back, and left knee disabilities. The Veteran's tension headaches are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, as well as macular hole of the right eye. The evidence does not establish that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.,There is no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral knee disorders to his military service.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU rating for the entire appeal period due to his service-connected disabilities, which preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has found substantial compliance with its remand directives. The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating, and TDIU are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are reasonably shown to be of such nature and severity as to preclude his participation in any regular substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran with a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee arthritis and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examinations and records. The issues include evaluations for various service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for new VA examinations to evaluate his bilateral SNHL, bilateral foot condition, bilateral knee condition, tension headaches, back condition, and muscle and joint pain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination for PTSD and ensuring all relevant medical records are associated with the claims file.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and right knee degenerative joint disease were not incurred or aggravated by his military service. The claim for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis within one year post-service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a link between current disability and service. For the right knee issue, the Board found that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty service.