Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 7, 2017 for the award of service connection for right knee arthritis and remanded the issue of a higher initial disability rating.

The Board granted new and relevant evidence for the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, and right knee pain. The claims for a cervical spine disability, head injury, headaches, lumbar spine arthritis, and right hip arthritis were denied.

The Board denied higher evaluations for the Veteran's right knee and bilateral lower extremity stress fracture disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.

The Board granted service connection for a right knee disability, finding that the condition clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service but was aggravated by an in-service injury.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the remaining issues, including various psychiatric disorders, middle back injury, ankle disabilities, knee disabilities, neuropathies, hearing loss, and headaches.

The Board denied service connection for a broken nose, deviated septum, low back disability, left foot numbness, right foot numbness, sinus disability, left elbow and forearm disability, left knee disability, and right shoulder strain. Service connection was granted for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and left hamstring strain. The Board also denied an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder with residuals of a traumatic brain injury, an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches, an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for fibromyalgia, and an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea. The Board denied a total disability rating based on individual unemployability as a result of service-connected disabilities prior to December 1, 2023.

The Board remands the claims for higher ratings of the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities to address the ameliorative effect of pain medication on these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for right knee strain and an increased initial rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder (MDD) with anxiety.

The Board granted an annual clothing allowance for the 2021 calendar year for right and left knee braces but denied it for a back brace.

The case is remanded for additional development and readjudication of the claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder for further evidentiary development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities, including lumbar spine, right hip bursitis, right shoulder, right knee, and cervical spine disabilities, to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for right knee instability from April 16, 2013 to March 15, 2016.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee instability prior to TKR, but denied increased ratings in excess of 30 percent for the right and left knees before TKR. The Board also granted increased ratings of 60 percent after TKR.

The Board remands the claims for a new examination to address the ameliorative effects of medication and other issues.

The Board granted a higher initial disability rating of 20 percent for right and left knee tendinosis with patellofemoral syndrome, but denied higher ratings for instability and an effective date prior to September 16, 2021. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities for additional medical opinion to address all evidence, including lay statements regarding in-service injuries.

The appeal for staged initial ratings for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was dismissed as it is properly addressed under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) system.

The Board granted a 10 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss from July 29, 2020, through September 3, 2020, and remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for left wrist, left ankle, and tender and painful scars on the left shin and right ankle. The issues of increased ratings and earlier effective dates for certain conditions were dismissed or remanded.