Knee Board decisions

The veteran's TDIU was granted effective January 30, 1979, as he became unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities on that date.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including a medical examination and review of additional evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection, finding no evidence of a current hip disability or degenerative changes in the lumbar spine that are secondary to his right knee disability. The initial rating for postoperative residuals of a right knee medial meniscectomy was also denied.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee disability was granted, with a current evaluation of 30 percent. His secondary service connection claim for a low back disability is pending and his TDIU claim is deferred.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions are not related to his military service, including the Persian Gulf War.

The veteran's service-connected right knee disability, which resulted from a total knee replacement in October 1995, is currently rated at 30 percent. The evidence does not support an increase in the rating as there is no objective evidence of severe painful motion or weakness.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's left knee disability, currently rated at 30 percent. The evidence did not show severe limitation of motion or weakness that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board found that the veteran's current disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine, lumbar disc disease with lower extremity neuropathy, torn medial meniscus and chondromalacia, left knee, and bilateral carpel tunnel syndrome, are not related to his service. The examiner opined that these conditions were due to post-service occupational stress.

The Board denied service connection for multiple joint disorders, including lumbosacral spine disorder, bilateral knee and hip disorders, bilateral foot disorder, and left shoulder disorder. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease that led to these conditions.

The veteran's claims for service connection for left and right foot disorders have been reopened. However, the evidence does not support a finding that his current knee conditions are related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues and requests for additional evidence. The veteran is entitled to a hearing before an RO Decision Review Officer on both his back disorder claim and left knee disorder increased rating claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee strain and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence to support a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's physical disabilities, including chronic lumbar strain and degenerative disease of the cervical spine, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for VA pension purposes due to their combined effect on his ability to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the veteran's post-traumatic arthritis of the right knee was incurred during his military service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for reopening service connection for right and left knee disorders due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claims for increased rating of diabetes mellitus, service connection for hypertension secondary to diabetes, and left knee disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The claim for reopening a right knee disability is also being remanded.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, but denied them on the merits. The low back disorder claim remains pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection is denied for all issues.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected left knee post-traumatic arthritis does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture causing marked interference with employment or frequent hospitalization, and therefore denied referral to the Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director, Compensation and Pension Service, for consideration of an extra-schedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disorder is attributable to service and grants the claim for service connection.