Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development to obtain updated VA treatment records and provide an appropriate VA examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for left knee and ankle disabilities, but the current evidence does not definitively establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU has been granted since May 1, 2009. His service-connected disabilities have precluded him from substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.

The Veteran maintained gainful employment prior to January 26, 2005 and his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service records and for medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions did not have their clinical onset in service and are not otherwise related to ACDUTRA or secondary to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran testified at his hearing that he did not experience any knee injuries during service. The VA examiner found no evidence of injury in service and concluded that the arthritis was not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is due to or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee instability and subluxation, specifically his history of falling due to these conditions. A new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability prior to January 2014.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability did not meet the criteria for an extension beyond December 1, 2008 of a temporary total rating based on need for convalescence following surgery in July 2008.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an examination and opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities' impact on employment.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his left knee disability have been dismissed as he has withdrawn them.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated treatment records and a VA examination for his intervertebral disc syndrome. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is not related to service, and his cervical spine and left knee disorders are not related to service.,Service connection was denied for all three issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his sleep apnea, right knee disability, and right hip disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis, did not manifest to a degree of 10 percent disabling or more within one year from his separation from service and there is no evidence of any continuity of related symptomatology after service. The Board also found that the medical evidence does not establish a nexus between the disability and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent prior to September 30, 2016. From September 30, 2016, the ratings were increased to 20 percent for each knee.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for his right knee condition was increased to 10 percent effective May 31, 2007. The appeal is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn and is therefore dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and determine appropriate rating based on limitation of motion and instability/patellar subluxation.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim.