Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hemorrhoids and right and left knee chondromalacia, finding that there is no evidence to support his assertions of in-service onset or relationship to service.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, arthritis of the left knee, and arthritis of the right knee. The evidence submitted did not demonstrate that these conditions began in or were caused by military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, right knee disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The Board found no in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms since separation from service, and there was insufficient evidence to establish a medical nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Veteran's mood disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, effective from August 23, 2016. He also has other service-connected disabilities that meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU and he meets the statutory requirements for SMC based on housebound status.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and a need for an updated VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's claimed service-connected disorders.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, nerve condition in the left arm to include in the left wrist, bilateral shoulder disability, and bilateral knee disability were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by painful motion and instability, does not warrant a rating in excess of the assigned 10 percent ratings prior to May 4, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that the current conditions are not related to active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability and its relationship to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU as of December 4, 2015. The claims for increased ratings for right knee disability and bilateral hearing loss are pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to issues with the rationale provided in previous decisions and the submission of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney stones, bilateral knee disability, neck disability, and low back disability are not service-connected as they do not have a direct link to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service-connected pes planus caused his current arthritis in his ankles, knees, right hip, and low back. The neck disability is not considered secondary to the service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's left knee unicompartmental arthroplasty performed in September 2010 qualifies for a one-year temporary total disability rating followed by at least a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service connection claims for various disabilities, and the case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the current severity of his acne vulgaris, deviated septum, and residuals of a fractured right fourth finger.

The Board denied the claim of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a left knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria. The effective date remains December 1, 1994.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have a left knee injury or arthritis within one year of separation from service, and thus cannot establish service connection for his current left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disorder is not related to his service or his service-connected right knee disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.