Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his TDIU and DEA benefits, left him in need of regular aid and attendance. The Board found that he met the criteria for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for scheduling a Board hearing. The issue at hand is whether he should receive an extension of his temporary total rating due to convalescence from his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's left and right knee patellofemoral syndromes are rated at 20 percent each, reflecting moderate disability with painful motion, swelling, instability, and limited range of motion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a pending request for a DRO hearing. The issues include increased ratings for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and PTSD; service connection claims for right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective from June 1, 2012. The issue of TDIU for the period from July 1, 2010 to April 4, 2011 is referred to the Director of Compensation Service for an extraschedular determination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left lower extremity disability did not have its onset in service and is not related to his active military service, including his service-connected right ankle disability.,The Veteran does not have any diagnosed collarbone or chest condition.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by limited extension and normal flexion, warrants a 40 percent rating for the period prior to February 9, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to evaluate his current hearing acuity. The RO will also review the claims file and issue a statement of the case regarding higher initial disability ratings for disabilities of both knees and for his left little finger, as well as earlier effective dates for the grants.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability did not have its onset in active service or within one year thereafter and is not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability is not related to service, and his right lower extremity disability does not appear to be directly related to service.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Board has requested an additional VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's right knee disability is related to his military service. The current opinion does not address all relevant in-service complaints and injuries, including a fall in January 1975 and a fall in June 1976.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 6, 2006.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability is no longer before the Board.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for osteomalacia of the left knee is being remanded due to inadequate December 2014 VA examination report and need for another VA examination.

The Board found no current disability of the knees, and determined that any diagnosed condition is not related to service. The skin disability was also not linked to service. As for gastrointestinal disability, it was addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's service-connected left knee disorder makes her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease has been reopened and is granted.,Service connection is also granted for bilateral lower extremity sciatica/neuralgia as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his service-connected left knee strain and entitlement to TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.