Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, as the VA examiners found that his disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left knee or hip disorders for VA purposes and therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his service-connected left ankle and left knee disabilities, which prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment. The Board granted the claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee disability is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after his active duty service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the current left knee disability was proximately caused by VA care, treatment, or examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a right wrist disability. The new evidence submitted does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of various joint disabilities were denied. The Board found that the earliest date entitlement arose was November 6, 1998, when the Veteran filed a claim for increased ratings and reexamination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative joint disease and medial meniscectomy, is rated at 10 percent. The claim for an increased rating has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional VA and private treatment records, as well as SSA disability records. A VA examination will be scheduled for the Veteran to determine if his current left ankle and bilateral knee disabilities are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability warrants a rating of 10 percent for arthritis and another 10 percent for instability, resulting in an overall 20 percent rating.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and development are necessary before the claims for service connection can be decided.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral knee disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with another VA examination to determine the current diagnosis of his knee pain since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left elbow and knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his service-connected left knee disability was denied as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to her active duty.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disorder was denied. A separate 20 percent rating for instability prior to May 10, 2011 was granted, but a new evaluation for instability beginning on that date was denied.

The Veteran's initial increased rating for musculoligamentous strain of the right knee from May 27, 2011, to present is granted at a 30 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's cause of death, sepsis due to a perforated cecum caused by metastatic cancer, is not service-connected as the lung cancer did not have its onset during his military service and was not related to any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis and anterior cruciate ligament tears have been rated at 20 percent since June 24, 2010.