Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, chronic kidney disease, cell bladder carcinoma, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal issues, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty for training.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability, and remanded several other issues including ratings for ankle strains, lumbar spine, lower extremity radiculopathy, knee disabilities, chronic headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's right knee condition has been granted a disability rating of 10 percent from November 7, 2014. The appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, to include a right total knee replacement, and a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Board also denied an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board denied service connection for several conditions, including bronchial asthma, respiratory insufficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and functional abdominal pain syndrome. However, it granted service connection for right knee tendinitis, left knee tendinitis, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted an effective date of July 30, 2022 for the award of a 50 percent rating for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder (psychiatric disorder) but denied earlier effective dates for other conditions.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of a right ankle fracture, left knee degenerative arthritis, and degenerative spondylosis of the lumbar spine.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee strain, dismissed an increased rating claim for a right ankle disability, and remanded claims for generalized anxiety disorder and lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, including left upper extremity radiculopathy, right knee tendinopathy, left knee tendinopathy, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder, degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, and plantar fasciitis in both feet.

The Board granted service connection for right knee disability, including strain and osteoarthritis, but denied an evaluation in excess of 10 percent disabling for allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, but remanded a claim for service connection for a low back disability.

The Board granted service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and an earlier effective date of March 17, 2017, for the award of Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) based on permanent and total disability status.

The Board denied a rating higher than 10 percent for right knee disability with limitation of flexion and a compensable rating for right knee disability with limitation of extension.

The Veteran was granted service connection for insomnia, COPD, and right and left knee degenerative joint diseases. The claim for an earlier effective date for insomnia was denied, but a 50 percent rating was assigned for the entire period on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability, a bilateral ankle disability, and a right shoulder disability as the evidence did not support that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board allowed the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder and remanded it for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board remands the issues of a higher rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and a separate rating for right knee instability due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right knee disability prior to October 1, 2018 and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 28, 2017 for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition and a right knee condition, to include as secondary to a left knee condition, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current knee conditions and his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left knee laxity is related to his service-connected disabilities, and whether the bilateral knee disabilities result in symptoms functionally equivalent to ankylosis.