Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disorders are caused by his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right total knee replacement has been rated at 60 percent since October 1, 2012. The Board found that the residuals of the surgery most closely approximated a 60 percent rating due to severe painful motion and weakness.

The Board has determined that further development is needed in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disabilities. This includes obtaining updated medical records, scheduling a VA examination, and giving the Veteran another opportunity to provide additional evidence.

The Veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to service-connected disabilities, including low back disability, bilateral knee instability, right shoulder tendonitis, pelvic disorders involving the hips, left and right lower extremity sensory deficits. The Veteran's total disability rating precludes locomotion without the aid of braces and canes, meeting the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA examination and medical records, as well as to issue a statement of the case for her bilateral hip disability claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disability and determine if there is any left knee disability related to or aggravated by the right knee.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and readjudication, including consideration of a June 2014 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip and knee osteoarthritis, as well as his flat feet, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including his total knee replacement surgery, is rated at 60 percent since September 1, 2014. The claim for an increased evaluation prior to July 2, 2013, remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any right knee disability, as well as whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability chronically worsened his right knee arthritis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain a new VA examination and opinion regarding his claims of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee disability. The examiner must consider the Veteran's lay statements about the onset and continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including left knee disability, gout, hypertension, bronchitis, erectile dysfunction, and irregular bowel dysfunction. The evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is service-connected as secondary to his right knee disability.,For the rating period prior to September 20, 2010, a higher rating for his right knee DJD was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee. The issue of service connection for a right knee disorder is addressed in the REMAND portion and will be remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder and finds that new evidence submitted by the Veteran raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim. The Board is now required to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding whether the current osteoarthritis of the left knee is related to any aggravation during military service.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

Prior to June 27, 2013, the Veteran's right knee DJD disability was rated at 10 percent based on limited extension and flexion. From June 27, 2013, forward, a higher rating of 30 percent is granted for limitation of extension.,The initial ratings for DJD of the right hip and left hip prior to April 15, 2016, are not on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following all forms of substantially gainful employment prior to December 27, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left and right knee arthroplasties, tinnitus, fracture of the fourth metacarpal in the right hand, scarring of the bilateral tympanic membranes, status post bilateral tympanoplasty, left knee scar from arthroplasty, and right knee scar from arthroplasty, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has determined that his TDIU claim is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for his claimed bilateral knee and hip disorders, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.