Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's left knee disability, including a meniscal tear and degenerative changes, is currently rated at 10 percent. A separate 10 percent rating for the degenerative changes has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Dr. Frank Sailor and considering the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions in light of his service history.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability is alleged to have aggravated his right knee condition, and the Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if this aggravation occurred.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the knees, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by his service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board also found that the arthritis is not proximately due to, the result of, or chronically aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board affirmed the RO's rating decision with regard to higher initial and increased evaluations for right and left knee disabilities, granted service connection for tinnitus, and remanded the claims for further evaluation based on new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected conditions are not rated higher than the current evaluations.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee strain and chondromalacia with torn meniscus in the left knee are rated at 10 percent each, but his symptoms have worsened. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for either condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral knee disability was denied, and his initial rating claim for trigeminal neuralgia remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, including whether they are related to service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent for instability and 30 percent for arthritis with moderate loss of motion, resulting in a combined rating of 40 percent. The Board denied entitlement to separate ratings under Diagnostic Codes 5260 (leg, limitation of flexion) and 5261 (leg, limitation of extension). The Veteran's service-connected disability is not considered disabling enough to prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The claim for TDIU was also denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating. The Board found no evidence warranting an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease and associated laxity are currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the issues are dismissed.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's current left knee and leg disorders to his military service or a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and he is therefore entitled to a TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar and cervical spine DJD, right knee chondromalacia with meniscectomy and patellar debridement, and left knee meniscectomy. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's right knee disability was granted a rating of 20 percent from August 12, 2004 until January 4, 2005 and from April 1, 2005 until October 30, 2007.,A separate 10 percent evaluation for right knee arthritis was granted from the same period. The Veteran's left knee disability received a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5257 from August 12, 2004 until August 20, 2007 and a 10 percent evaluation for arthritis under Diagnostic Codes 5003 and 5260 was granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee and low back disorders are related to his military service, including parachute jumps performed during active duty. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her claims, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of her knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the RO due to conflicting vacation plans.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for thoracolumbar degenerative disease and right knee degenerative joint disease are granted. The remaining issues, including those related to left hip, right hip, hepatitis residuals, and vision problems, require further development.