Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and remanded the claims for a left knee disorder, right knee disorder, low back disorder, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for a right knee disorder and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, with obesity as an intermediate step. The claims for increased ratings and TDIU were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's failure to attend scheduled examinations.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for restrictive lung disease (claimed as asthma) but denied service connection for several other conditions, including right knee strain, left foot pes planus with bilateral hammer toes, foot fungus, seborrheic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and right hip condition. The Board also dismissed claims for service connection that were not ripe for review.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for a left knee disability from August 8, 1974, due to a typographical error in notification letters.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his right knee disability.

The Board remands the claims for increased disability evaluations for left knee limitation of flexion, instability, and extension due to inadequate addressing of the Veteran's testimony regarding flare-ups and insufficient compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a left knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent evaluation for right knee instability from July 7, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied, except for an effective date of September 21, 2015, for the assignment of a noncompensable rating for right knee limitation of extension.

The Board granted a separate 20 percent evaluation for left knee instability and denied a compensable evaluation for limitation of flexion of the left knee. The Board also remanded service connection for an esophagus disability.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the right ankle sprain and denied higher ratings for the other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia and a right knee condition, but reopened the claim for right ear hearing loss. All other claims were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right hip disabilities to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The appeal was dismissed as a timely substantive appeal to the October 2017 rating decision was not received.

The Board denied service connection for left hand, right hand, and neck disorders, as well as denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee condition, to include pain and osteoarthritis with Osgood-Schlatter disease, based on the evidence showing that the Veteran's current disability is related to an in-service motorcycle accident.

The Board denied an evaluation higher than 20 percent for the Veteran's left knee anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal tear, status-post repair, with limitation of extension; granted a separate 10 percent disability evaluation for the meniscal tear; and restored a 10 percent rating effective July 8, 2021.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining potentially relevant Social Security Administration records.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, denied an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and hypertension, and remanded the claim for increased rating for right knee joint osteoarthritis, limitation of extension.