Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when combined, meet the criteria for a TDIU effective November 17, 2006.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for additional development and adjudication, including obtaining VA treatment records from March 2011 forward and any additional records received.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions are not related to his period of active service. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a nexus between any current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO due to a request for a Travel Board hearing that has not been scheduled. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral knee disability, sinusitis, rhinitis, and femoral radicular disability, are not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected as they are not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee sprain, right knee sprain, and low back strain are related to service. The claims for these disabilities have been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability did not have its onset during service or is otherwise related to such service, including as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated at 10 percent for the entire rating period on appeal, as it is manifested by symptoms of painful motion, swelling, weakened movement, and flare-ups. The disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of flexion or extension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including right lower extremity radiculopathy, right hip arthritis, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and ruptured right Achilles tendon, have resulted in loss of use of his right leg. As a result, he is entitled to special monthly compensation based on anatomical loss or loss of use of one leg at a level, or with complications preventing natural knee action with prosthesis in place.

The Board has determined that there is no clear and unmistakable error in the effective date assignments for service connection, but found that there was clear and unmistakable error in the effective date assignment for the award of service connection for residual scars status post skin graft of the right leg. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on an extra-schedular basis are denied.

The Veteran's left knee disability was incurred in service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical opinions and to ensure that all relevant evidence has been considered in connection with the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that his pre-existing condition was not aggravated during any period of active duty or inactive duty training.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for the residuals of a right knee meniscus tear was previously denied, and new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The left ankle disability is rated at 40 percent prior to November 18, 2011, and 60 percent as of that date. The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted effective from March 24, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee chondromalacia, as well as chronic lumbar pain with myofascial muscle strain, were granted. The effective date is October 30, 2012.

The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to restoration of the 20 percent rating for his service-connected left knee disorder and the 30 percent rating for his service-connected left ankle disorder.

The Veteran's claimed bilateral knee disabilities, including degenerative joint disease and chondromalacia patella, are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or as a result of her military service.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple claims regarding various disabilities, including knee issues, psychiatric disorders, sleep apnea, allergies, back pain, sciatica, and hearing loss. The case is being remanded for a live hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete development and potential consideration of undiagnosed illness or multi-symptom illnesses.