Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's current back, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities are not related to his service-connected bilateral foot disability. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, right knee disability, and scars of the knees have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and concluded that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection based on direct evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and left knee osteoarthritis, status post surgery, have been caused or permanently aggravated by his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and multiple orthopedic conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from December 11, 2015.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee and low back disabilities, as well as his foot disability. The claims are inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting right knee condition was not aggravated by service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is not related to his active service and cannot be presumed due to a lack of evidence within one year of separation. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran does not have a cervical spine disorder or bilateral knee disorder. Her claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated at 20 percent since March 6, 2012 due to a partial meniscectomy. The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis and denied the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing his case.

The Board has determined that there is no current left knee disability and the Veteran's metatarsalgia and plantar fasciitis of the left foot do not warrant an increased rating. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA examination and medical opinion evidence regarding his claimed left knee and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is found to be due to service, and the claim for service connection is granted. The issue of an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as her service-connected shin splints, lumbosacral strain, and left foot stress fracture.

The Veteran is granted TDIU benefits effective July 7, 2008. The Board finds that it is not factually ascertainable that the Veteran's unemployability was due solely to service-connected disabilities during the one-year period preceding the date of claim for an increased rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis, is currently rated as 20 percent disabling from June 10, 2014. The Board has also granted an additional 10 percent rating for instability of the right knee prior to that date.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of his sleep apnea and knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are related to his active service, granting service connection for both.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, as he is able to perform sedentary work despite his knee issues.