Knee decisions — 2025

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, as it finds that an adequate medical opinion addressing direct service connection has not been obtained.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral knee and ankle disorders as the VA medical opinions provided are inadequate.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle injury and residuals, right knee strain (claimed as right knee injury and residuals), and herniated discs (claimed as low back injury and residuals) due to the lack of evidence supporting a current disability or a link to service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including those of the hands, fingers, knees, hips, and thoracolumbar spine, to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's limitation of flexion in her right knee but granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability.

The appeal to reverse or revise a July 2008 rating decision that denied service connection for a right shoulder condition on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was denied, while the revision of the same rating decision to grant separate 10 percent ratings for the right knee, left knee, and right hip disabilities, and a noncompensable rating for the right elbow disability was granted.

The Board granted service connection for left and right knee chondromalacia/trochlear groove chondral defects based on evidence showing in-service incurrence of bilateral knee pain and subsequent diagnosis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition, left knee joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis secondary to plantar fasciitis due to inadequate medical opinions regarding aggravation.

The Board denied increased ratings for cervical and thoracolumbar spine strains, TMJ disorder, dermatitis of the face, right knee chondromalacia grade II with patellar tendonitis, medial meniscal derangement, and Baker's cyst, and bilateral hearing loss. However, service connection was granted for radicular pain paresthesia of the right upper extremity.

The Board granted service connection for benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary incontinence, left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, right lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, left leg condition (knee strain), right leg condition (knee strain), obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, heart condition, and hypertension. However, it dismissed the appeals for service connection for major neurocognitive disorder, MDD, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety.

The appeals for service connection for a back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability were dismissed due to procedural defects.

The Board remands the claims for further development and evidence collection, as some relevant private treatment records have not been obtained.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for hearing loss and granted an effective date of August 5, 2021, for the award of service connection for chronic sinusitis. The claims for increased ratings and additional service connection were also denied or remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee condition, pain and tight muscle as the evidence did not support that the Veteran's current disability began during active service or was related to an in-service injury.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the increased ratings of the right knee and a higher rating for adjustment disorder, but no earlier date is applicable.

The appeal was dismissed as the Veteran did not timely file a Board Appeal request with respect to the rating decision issued on May 27, 2021.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hemorrhoids, left hip osteoarthritis and hip joint replacement, right hip osteoarthritis, limitation of flexion of the left knee status post arthroscopy with partial medial meniscectomy, and degenerative arthritis, but granted a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic left knee meniscal tear.

The Board granted service connection for benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary incontinence, left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, right lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, left leg condition (knee strain), right leg condition (knee strain), obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, heart condition, and hypertension. However, it dismissed the appeals for service connection for major neurocognitive disorder, MDD, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety.

The appeal for a higher disability rating for the left knee condition was dismissed as it had already been remanded and is now moot.

The Board granted service connection for tinea pedis, left foot, and generalized anxiety disorder, while denying increased ratings for knee conditions and other disabilities.