Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's use of left knee and left foot/ankle braces, as well as his back brace, caused more damage to clothing than one brace alone. The right knee brace was denied because the Veteran is not service-connected for any right knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disorder, finding that it is not etiologically related to service or due to or aggravated by her service-connected bilateral knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability and acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder) are not related to his active duty service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining new VA examinations and retrieving any outstanding medical treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim requires additional examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability. The case is therefore being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's chronic infections are related to his service-connected left knee total knee arthroplasty, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and address his complaints of buckling. The case will be reviewed again after this development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor are they related to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted as he is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee disorder and liver disorder have been granted increased ratings, with the left knee disorder receiving a separate rating for a tender scar.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50 percent effective February 4, 2015. The cervical spine disability is rated at 50 percent effective that date.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a left knee disability is granted, and he is assigned a 30 percent rating for his service-connected discogenic disease at C5-C7 with muscle spasm and C4-C5 small posterior disc protrusion. The other claims are denied.

The case is being remanded due to the need for a Board video-conference hearing and because the Veteran wishes to have all issues heard at once.

The Veteran's current bilateral knee disability was not caused or aggravated by a disease or injury in active service, or a service-connected disability. The Board finds that the Veteran's claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's initial rating for left knee degenerative changes remains at 10 percent, and an extraschedular rating for lumbar spine DDD is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete development and requires additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee osteoarthritis was not found to warrant a rating in excess of the currently assigned ratings for flexion and extension prior to April 7, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right leg disorder is not service-connected, as it is less likely than not permanently aggravated by events during service. The disorders are considered secondary to sciatica.

The Veteran received increased ratings for his right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine disabilities. The right knee rating has been upgraded to 60 percent after June 27, 2007.,Effective dates are not specified as the decisions were made in the April 2010 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis in his bilateral knees is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing whether it is at least as likely as not that the condition was caused or aggravated by his service-connected pes planus.