Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for substance abuse including alcohol use disorder, and denied earlier effective dates for hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims for service connection for knee and shoulder disabilities were remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for various conditions as there was no appealable decision from the February 6, 2024, deferred rating.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and TDIU to ensure proper consideration of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a request for examinations that consider functional impairment in an occupational setting and unemployability due to her disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, right shoulder disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, and bilateral wrist disorder due to errors in scheduling VA examinations.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for osteomyelitis and amputation above the knee, left as secondary to osteomyelitis. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted.

The Board granted a 50 percent initial rating for right knee strain, limitation of extension and a 20 percent initial rating for right knee strain, subluxation. The claim for an initial rating higher than 50 percent for headaches was denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for increased ratings and higher initial ratings for various disabilities, leading to the dismissal of all claims.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical spine, right shoulder, right and left hip, and right and left knee disorders as secondary to a back disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship with the back disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, a left ankle condition, a right ankle condition, a left hip condition, a right hip condition, a left knee condition, and a right knee condition as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, left sciatic radicular pain, and headaches. It also granted an initial rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a rating of 30 percent for lipoma of the skin on the back of the head. The claims for increased ratings for right knee strain with shin splints and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were denied, as was the claim for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.

The Board granted an effective date of March 26, 2014, for service connection for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and bilateral eye conjunctivitis.

The Board granted service connection for a left and right knee disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability based on medical evidence establishing a causal relationship.

The Board denied compensation benefits for prostate biopsy and colonoscopy residuals, as well as service connection for left ankle pain, right ankle pain, left elbow arthritis, right elbow arthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric conditions. The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder with a 70% evaluation effective February 27, 2023, and increased the ratings for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis to 30 percent and residuals of foot injury to 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a low back, upper back, bilateral arm, and knee disability, as well as an eating disorder and stress disorder. However, the Board granted a 50 percent rating for depression.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review the appeal.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for mid thoracic mechanical strain, dorsal kyphosis, and lumbar scoliosis; service connection for left leg radiculopathy; service connection for right leg radiculopathy; and ratings in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome to afford the Veteran adequate examinations.

The Board denied increased ratings for right trochanteric pain syndrome and right knee strain, granted a separate 20 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension, and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and irregular heartbeat, granted a 40 percent initial rating for low back disability, and denied an increased rating for left knee disability. The Board also granted a 20 percent initial rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as a TDIU, to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the Veteran's reports of pain.