Knee decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, finding the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's chronic headaches had their onset in service. The other claims were remanded for further development.

The appeals concerning entitlement to service connection for headaches and residuals status post dislocation of the left 4th digit are dismissed due to a concurrent election issue under the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the right knee disability and a separate 20 percent rating for instability, while denying an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle tendonitis, a rating greater than 10 percent for cystic acne, an initial compensable rating for scars associated with cystic acne, and various other conditions. The claims were either denied or remanded.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantial, gainful employment, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) is granted.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 16, 2020, for the awards of service connection for cervical strain and left upper extremity radiculopathy, but denied earlier effective dates for other lower extremity conditions.

The Board granted an effective date of August 1, 2013, for the award of service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran was granted a separate 20 percent rating for right knee instability from February 2, 2010, to May 25, 2010. The Board also remanded the claims for separate ratings for limitation of extension and flexion prior to May 26, 2010.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability and a skin disability, finding no evidence of a causal relationship between the disabilities and the Veteran's military service. The right lower extremity issue was remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for right foot pes planus, left knee disability, and left leg disability as there was no evidence of a nexus to the Veteran's military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew the appeals for increased ratings of low back, left knee, and right ankle disabilities.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome and left knee replacement due to a need for another VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and denied increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity prior to June 7, 2024. The appeal was remanded for other issues.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings under applicable criteria.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, and heart disorder to cure pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including left knee, right knee, hallux valgus, right shoulder, and lumbar spine issues, due to an AOJ error in satisfying a regulatory or statutory duty.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis to correct duty to assist errors, including obtaining private medical records and addendum medical opinions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee arthritis based on the evidence showing flexion to 75 degrees and extension to zero degrees, which did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical condition, voiding dysfunction, and left knee strain with arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected low back condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and obstructive sleep apnea, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.