Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right shoulder disorders, including obtaining a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and residual left knee scars. The AOJ will also consider applicable rating criteria for skin disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee disability was not incurred or aggravated by service, and is not secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Veteran was granted a separate 20 percent disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the right knee effective January 1, 2004. The earlier requested effective date is denied.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis is found to be incurred in service, as he reported experiencing symptoms since service and was diagnosed with the condition during a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, considered alone or in combination, render him unemployable. The case is REMANDED for a VA medical examination to determine if the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due by reason of service-connected disabilities.

The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran currently suffers from a left knee disability that is the result of a disease or injury in active duty service, nor is it secondary to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder injury and osteoarthritis, as well as injuries of both knees and osteoarthritis. The Veteran's claims were also denied for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 12, 2011, and an evaluation in excess of 20 percent since then.,The Board found no evidence of inservice injury or chronic disability related to the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected disabilities were denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not meet the criteria for increased evaluations.

The Veteran's right and left knee conditions have been rated at the minimum of 30 percent since August 1, 2011. The VA examiner found no severe symptoms or ankylosis in either knee, but noted intermediate degrees of weakness and pain.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for right knee disability and a rating in excess of 10 percent for postoperative residuals of meniscectomy of the left knee.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess his knee and ankle disabilities as well as any lumbar spine disability. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability will also be addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent, which corresponds to limitation of motion and instability. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's flexion was limited to no more than 85 degrees with pain, while extension remained at 0 degrees.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to appear for scheduled hearings and requests a new hearing.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show such an exceptional disability picture to warrant extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's right knee disorder.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for a right knee disability, to include as secondary to service-connected left knee disabilities due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, treatment records, and a determination of whether he is unemployable due to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The RO/AMC granted a 40% rating for the right ankle disorder, but did not address other issues or conditions.

The Veteran's right knee injury and posttraumatic stress disorder were found to be service-connected, allowing accrued benefits.