Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected knee disabilities and an effort to obtain any outstanding treatment records. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has also been raised.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left hip, and right hip disabilities. The Veteran is also provided with a VA examination to determine the etiology of his hip disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine strain, right knee osteoarthritis status post-surgery with loss of cartilage in patella and femoral areas, and left wrist scaphoid fracture are currently rated at 10 percent each. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to insufficient examination and incomplete treatment records. An additional VA examination is needed, along with updated treatment records.

The Veteran's left knee disability was initially granted with a 10 percent rating and temporary total based on surgical treatment. The RO also awarded a TDIU, but the claim is now considered closed due to lack of response.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service incurrence or aggravation of a chronic left knee disability and no evidence demonstrating any left knee arthritis manifested to a compensable degree within one year following separation from service. The Board also found that continuity of symptomatology of left knee arthritis is not shown.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of either the right or left knee, and therefore service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 60 percent for the Veteran's residuals of right and left total knee arthroplasties, effective September 1, 2013. The claims were previously denied as there was no evidence of severe impairment or chronic residuals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee arthritis is related to his in-service shrapnel injury and grants service connection for this condition. The right leg disability issue remains pending as there are no updated VA treatment records available.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain since July 11, 2011. The Veteran was previously rated at 10 percent prior to this date and is now entitled to an increased rating.

The Veteran was granted service connection for left sacroiliitis, left knee disability, and bilateral pes planus. The initial rating of 10 percent has been granted for the left knee disability from January 4, 2006 to September 13, 2007, and for the bilateral pes planus from January 4, 2006 to February 3, 2011.,The Veteran's back disability has been rated as 10 percent disabling since January 4, 2006. The left knee disability was initially rated at noncompensable (0%) and later increased to 10% effective September 13, 2007. The bilateral pes planus was also initially rated at noncompensable (0%), but increased to 10% effective February 3, 2011.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are currently rated as 10 percent disabling.,Both knees have been evaluated based on limitation of motion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to address the issue of a rating greater than 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right knee from December 15, 2009 forward. The current examination report does not specify at what point during range-of-motion testing the Veteran's pain begins and does not provide an estimate of limitation of motion that would be present during a flare-up.

The Veteran's claim for a temporary total evaluation based on right knee surgery is denied as the surgery and recovery occurred prior to the effective date of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities were denied. The residuals of the total left knee arthroplasty have been rated at 60 percent since September 1, 2014, and the degenerative joint disease prior to November 5, 2012 has not warranted a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by pain and stiffness with early degenerative changes, is rated at 10 percent under the criteria for limitation of motion. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his range of motion does not meet the criteria for more than a 10 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities have been remanded due to the need for a supplemental statement of the case. The Veteran has not had a VA examination of the knees since June 2010, on remand he should be provided a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.