Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, right knee disability, left knee disability, and right ankle disability have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a left knee injury that occurred in 1945. The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and further development is needed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a link between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee condition was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may arthritis of the right knee be presumed to have been incurred therein. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left total knee replacement and right knee disability were denied. The Veteran was awarded a temporary total disability rating following the surgery, which was later reduced to a permanent 50 percent evaluation from March 1, 2007. His right knee is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a right knee disability examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 16, 1994 for the grant of Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities. The TDIU was granted as of April 20, 1998, and the Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disability rendered him unemployable prior to August 16, 1994.

The Veteran's left and right knee chondromalacia are not shown to warrant a compensable rating.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting an examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis as his combined disability evaluation is insufficient to warrant such a rating, and there is no evidence that he is unemployable solely due to these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection claim for postoperative residuals of a left knee injury and to increase his rating for a scar residual of a left wrist injury. The TDIU claim is being remanded due to its interdependence with the increased rating claim.

The Board has determined that there is no competent or credible evidence linking arthritis of the knees and elbows to service. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia and osteoarthritis are currently rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current symptoms or additional disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee and cervical spine disabilities are related to his service-connected low back disability or other injuries, as well as whether they are secondary to any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in his needing assistance with many of his activities of daily living, including bathing and dressing his lower extremities. Due to poor balance and ambulation caused by his service-connected knee and ankle disabilities, he requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect himself from hazards such as falling.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and providing VA examinations to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed low back disorder, nerve damage of the right lower extremity, and right knee disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee chondromalacia is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating, and denied his claims for increased ratings for left ankle, hip, and low back disorders as secondary to the service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his claimed conditions.