Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied an increased disability evaluation for the left knee scar and remanded the claim for an increased disability evaluation for status-post left total knee replacement.

The Veteran was granted an effective date of December 11, 2020 for the grant of service connection and a 10 percent disability evaluation for patellofemoral pain syndrome and degenerative arthritis, left knee. The claim for service connection for chronic gastritis was remanded.

The Board granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, finding a medical nexus between the Veteran's in-service injury and his current disability.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of all extremities, hypertension, and coronary artery disease, but denied earlier effective dates for bilateral hearing loss and surgical scar of the low back, midline. The Board also remanded claims for service connection for various disabilities.

The Board granted an effective date of March 1, 2021, for the award of service connection for right knee disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, left ankle disability, psychiatric disability, and lumbosacral disability.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that they are secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus with right pes planovalgus deformity.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than July 2, 2020 for the grant of service connection for left knee meniscal tear with degenerative joint disease, limitation of flexion.

The Board remands the claim for a left knee disability to ensure that due process is followed and that there is a complete record upon which to decide the Veteran's claim.

The Board denied service connection for left leg radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, and a higher rating for lumbosacral strain and painful motion from the left knee condition. The claims for sleep apnea and vertigo were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for left knee pain, right elbow pain, left elbow pain, right knee pain, left shoulder pain, and right shoulder pain based on the evidence being in approximate balance that these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder and cannabis use disorder (MDD) is granted with a 100 percent disability rating effective December 18, 2018. The Board also grants TDIU from the same date.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee disorders, but remanded claims for sinusitis, sleep apnea, cervical spine disorder, migraine headaches, right ankle disorder, respiratory disorder, and Rotor's syndrome.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder impingement syndrome, right knee arthritis with sprain, and tension headaches.

The Board granted service connection for papillary thyroid cancer status post thyroidectomy and readjudicated the claims for right knee osteoarthritis and left knee osteoarthritis based on new and relevant evidence.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee due to an inadequate medical opinion.

The appeal was dismissed as a matter of law because the Notice of Disagreement was premature regarding proposed reductions in disability evaluations.

The Board denied increased ratings for left knee tendonitis/tendinosis and chronic left shoulder strain, but granted a 100 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with major depressive disorder (MDD) prior to January 5, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for tinnitus and a left knee disability due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for somatic symptom disorder as secondary to the service-connected knee disabilities and increased ratings of 20 percent for left and right knee chondromalacia, but did not grant a higher rating. The case was remanded for further action on the claim for service connection for a left ankle disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, migraine headache disorder, tinnitus, cervical strain, right hand finger disorders, left hand arthritis, and right knee strain, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury.