Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for left knee pain and painful scarring distinct from right ankle surgical scars, but granted a 20 percent rating for right ankle post-surgical scars. The Board also granted ratings of 10 percent or less for various hip conditions.

The Board denied initial disability ratings in excess of 40 percent for right knee limitation of extension, 20 percent for right knee instability, 10 percent for a right knee meniscal tear (removal), and a compensable rating for a right knee scar from July 19, 2024.

The Board remands the claims for an earlier effective date for left leg amputation and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on anatomical loss of one foot to correct pre-decision duty-to-assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and cervical spine disabilities as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability due to inadequate VA opinions.

The veteran has withdrawn the appeal for all claims, and the Board lacks jurisdiction to review them.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including neck strain, bilateral shoulder and knee strains, jaw condition, PTSD, anxiety, major depression, and sleep disturbances, as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for increased ratings for a left knee disability and lumbar strain, finding that there was no factually ascertainable worsening of these conditions within one year prior to the receipt of his intent to file.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, left lower extremity disorder, and left knee disorder based on the evidence supporting their direct relationship to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for right knee disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, granted service connection for tinnitus, and denied a compensable rating for lower back strain.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder, painful surgical scars on both feet, and non-compensable ratings for left and right foot surgical scars. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and various musculoskeletal conditions were remanded.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's back disability and remanded several other issues, including service connection for neurological abnormalities associated with the back disability, as well as ratings for left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities.

The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions and granted service connection for bruxism as secondary to the veteran's acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder with shin splints, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The right knee disorder with shin splints was remanded.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection for various disabilities due to untimely and improper Notice of Disagreement submissions.

The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for left knee instability and denied an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative arthritis.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral pinguecula and denied the claims for service connection for a dental condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, higher ratings for left knee disability and scar, and compensable ratings for left hip conditions.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions due to an impermissible concurrent election of issues already pending before the Board.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and left knee extension.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee strain, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance that these disabilities are related to the Veteran's in-service bilateral knee injuries.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, left ankle tendinosis, and left knee osteoarthritis. Service connection was denied for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).