Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's left shoulder arthritis is not related to service, but rather to a post-service work injury.,There is no evidence linking the current left hip pain to any period of service. The Veteran's current left hip pain is more likely due to smoking and obesity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected residuals of ventral hernia and patellar bursitis, right knee do not warrant a higher disability rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee arthritis does not relate to service and his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling due to painful motion with flexion limited to no less than 125 degrees and extension at 0 degrees. The right eye disability is currently rated as non-compensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right knee disability or varicose veins of the left lower extremity and/or left thigh nerve damage. The VA examiner concluded these conditions are less likely than not incurred in or caused by an in-service injury, event, or illness.

The Veteran's left knee disability is productive of pain, flexion to 105 degrees, extension to 0 degrees, slight instability, and locking. The criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the left knee based on pain and limitation of motion have not been met on a schedular basis. The criteria for an evaluation of 10 percent for left knee instability have been met on a schedular basis. The criteria for an evaluation of 20 percent for left knee disability productive of locking have been met on a schedular basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are service-connected and have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination with an industrial/occupational specialist to address the combined effects of the Veteran's PTSD and left knee disability on his employability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right leg disabilities are not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's left knee DJD was rated at 20% from December 30, 2008 through May 5, 2015. Since May 6, 2015, the Veteran has been rated at 40%. The hearing loss disability remains noncompensable. The Board granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to unavailability of service treatment records and for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being REMANDED for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left and right knees.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for various disabilities, including upper cervical strain, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, bilateral hearing loss, and several psychiatric, musculoskeletal, and respiratory conditions. The Board has ordered a remand to address these issues due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and schedule him for VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities and the etiology of his headache condition.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including right shoulder, thoracolumbar spine, left hip, and knee disorders, as well as a right thumb cyst and numbness in the arms and feet, were denied. The Board found no current disabilities related to these issues.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right great toe injury and right knee patellofemoral syndrome were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent for either condition.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, post-operative residuals of a right inguinal hernia, and patellofemoral syndrome, right knee were denied as the preponderance of evidence did not support service connection or entitlement to increased ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right knee arthritis, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the reduction of a 20 percent rating to a 10 percent rating for chondromalacia of the right knee with a history of periostitis was improper and restored the 20 percent rating effective June 1, 2011. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a combined rating in excess of 20 percent for his right knee disability has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded to determine if the Veteran was unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to November 2009.