Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected left knee and left elbow disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and bilateral knee disabilities as secondary to service-connected pes planus, and has awarded initial noncompensable ratings for right and left ankle sprains. The Veteran's claims are now granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain, right knee arthritis, and chronic elbow bursitis, do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left knee injury with degenerative joint disease and right ankle fracture, finding that the schedular criteria adequately described his disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and low back disabilities, as well as the claim for a TDIU were denied by the RO. The Board has remanded these matters to allow for further development.

The Veteran does not have arthritis of the hips, knees, ankles, or hands.,Service connection for these conditions is denied as there is no current disability and no evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus with mild diabetic retinopathy and erectile dysfunction was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7913.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder, low back disorder, and allergic rhinitis are all service-connected. The nasal fractures leading to current residuals of a deviated septum and hearing loss of the left ear were also found to be aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, anal fissure, bilateral knee disorder, or bilateral wrist disorder. Therefore, the Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's right knee instability and limitation of extension are rated at 30 percent, but the Board denied entitlement to increased ratings prior to September 21, 2010 and subsequent to that date.

The Veteran's left knee disability, status post left knee replacement surgery, has been rated at 30 percent since November 1, 2006. The RO denied a higher rating for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including determining whether there are two separate ratings assigned under Diagnostic Code 5257 and if one is assigned under a different code. The veteran's claim for increased rating of left knee disability will be reconsidered based on this additional information.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum schedular criteria for a TDIU, and his employment is not prevented by these conditions alone.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU, but may be eligible for an extraschedular rating due to his unemployability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hemorrhoids. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision and are being remanded to the RO.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is in favor of finding that the Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease sustained actual improvement and that, therefore, the reduction in the disability rating from 40 percent to 10 percent was appropriate. The claim for an increased disability rating is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board is remanding the case to consider whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic bilateral knee disability, as well as issues regarding left hip trochanteric bursitis (to include as due to service-connected right hip trochanteric bursitis) and bilateral heel spurs. The Veteran is being asked to provide any relevant medical records from Johnston Island Base Hospital.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee condition and diabetes, as well as an increased rating for migraine headaches and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.