Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied higher disability ratings for the veteran's low back and lower extremity radiculopathies, pseudofolliculitis barbae, pes planus and plantar fasciitis, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board granted an effective date of May 15, 2013, but no earlier, for the award of service connection for right knee limitation of extension and denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee DJD with limitation of flexion.

The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain with meniscal tear repair and left knee instability due to an inadequate medical opinion.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee osteoarthritis prior to September 15, 2014, for an addendum retrospective opinion that complies with Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea and back disability, preclude his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from March 19, 2025.

The Board remands the claims for increased disability evaluations and TDIU due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected right knee conditions.

The Board granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and assigned an initial disability rating of 10 percent, but no higher, prior to March 17, 2017 for status post right thumb reconstructive surgery.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to an inadequate VA examination and the need for a new examination that accounts for the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities due to a need for further medical evaluation without considering the effects of pain medication.

The Board granted a 60 percent disability rating for ankylosis of the left and right knees, effective from the date of the claim.

The Board remands the case for further development, specifically to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's left hamstring and right knee conditions, as well as a TDIU claim.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than May 26, 2016, for a separate rating for right knee instability and left knee instability. The claims for higher ratings based on limitation of motion and instability of the knees, separate ratings for meniscus conditions of the knees, and secondary service connection claims were remanded.

The Board granted restoration of a 40% rating for osteoarthritis of the left knee, effective July 1, 2009, and denied an increased rating in excess of 40% for the same condition as well as entitlement to TDIU.

The appeal for an increased disability rating in excess of 70 percent from June 4, 2015, to July 12, 2022, for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with persistent depressive disorder was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. §1151 for various disabilities due to treatment at a VAMC in April 2007, finding no evidence of additional disability caused by carelessness or negligence on VA's part.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a right foot disability, as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The appeals for service connection of prostate cancer, diabetes, GERD, and hypertension were dismissed due to the RO's subsequent grant of these conditions.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for right knee strain with limitation of flexion from November 18, 2014 and a 20 percent rating from March 3, 2021. A compensable rating for right knee strain with limitation of extension was denied. A 10 percent rating for right knee strain with patellar chondromalacia was granted from February 23, 2021, and a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches was granted from January 24, 2015.

The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, lumbar disc disease, and cervical spine disability based on evidence supporting an in-service onset of symptoms that have continued to the present.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right knee disability and left eye disability to obtain additional medical opinions that address the Veteran's lay statements and specific circumstances.