Knee Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left hip disability or right knee disability for which he can be granted service connection. The Veteran's claims are denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability, post total knee arthroplasty, was rated at 30 percent from September 1, 2011 to June 16, 2016 and has been increased to 60 percent since then.,The combined rating of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities renders him unable to perform substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and experience.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is not related to his active service, and as such, he does not meet the criteria for service connection. The lumbar spine disorder claim requires further development due to inadequate previous examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C and left ankle disability rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from October 13, 2009, to July 28, 2011. Prior to this period, his combined disability rating did not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's asthma has been rated at 30% since May 12, 2009. The right shoulder and left knee injuries have not resulted in any compensable ratings.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and tricompartmental degenerative joint disease is pending before the Board. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his service connection claim for a sinus disorder was reopened, but service connection remains denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus to service or service-connected conditions. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with degenerative joint disease (arthritis) in both knees, which he attributes to injuries sustained during active duty and subsequent treatment.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, right knee degenerative arthritis, and hypertension.,There is no evidence of chronic conditions during service or within the applicable presumptive period.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a right knee condition that is etiologically related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability, including testing for pain and functional loss during flare-ups. The claim will be readjudicated after this additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his claim for higher ratings and earlier effective dates are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of shin splints or knee disability, and thus service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including back, hip, shoulder, knee, prostate cancer, colon cancer, kidney condition, bladder condition, hypertension, head injury from dizziness, headaches, and depression have been denied. The left hand scar is rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support service connection for schizophrenia, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, or osteoarthritis of the left knee. The Veteran's claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete VA treatment records and a need for additional medical opinions regarding his service connection claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease, is not service-connected due to a pre-existing condition noted at entrance into service. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was also denied as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is etiologically related to his active military service and grants service connection for this condition.