Knee decisions — 2025

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for right knee meniscectomy residuals and instability, as well as TDIU, due to a need for additional development.

The Board granted service connection for a right knee condition, finding the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether it was incurred during service. The claim for a cervical spine condition was not addressed.

The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for her neck disability beginning April 27, 2018, and had some issues denied or remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis as further development is needed to properly address a complete presumption of soundness rebuttal analysis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left knee disability and right ear hearing loss to correct an error in providing notice of the Veteran's right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Board granted restoration of a 50 percent evaluation for bilateral pes planus and denied increased ratings for left knee arthritis, right knee strain, varicocele, lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. Erectile dysfunction was granted service connection.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD, an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain, and a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral shin splints to correct pre-decisional errors.

The Board granted an effective date of October 17, 2017 for the award of service connection for left elbow limitation of flexion and left cubital tunnel syndrome (CTS), but denied earlier effective dates for other conditions.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's lip scar due to Stevens Johnson syndrome and a compensable rating for his left knee scar.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for stress incontinence, vaginitis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, lumbosacral strain with mild levoscoliosis, anxiety disorder with TBI, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with patellar dislocation, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims for increased ratings were also dismissed. The Board remanded several other claims for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left lower leg or calf condition and a left knee condition due to missing private medical records from before March 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for GERD and service connection for OSA, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. The claim for a higher initial disability rating for GERD was also denied.

The Board granted service connection for a right knee condition (claimed as meniscal tear with chondromalacia patellae) and remanded the claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, middle back, and lower back conditions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to outstanding records of private treatment and a lack of VA medical opinions.

The Board remands the claims for an initial compensable rating for right knee limitation of extension and right knee scar due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The appeal for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including diabetes, erectile dysfunction, bilateral shoulder disability, hemorrhoids, and knee and ankle disabilities, was dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine (back) disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability and a compensable initial evaluation for a right ear hearing loss disability. The claims for service connection for a left ankle disability, left knee disability, GERD, and erectile dysfunction were remanded.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection and increased rating, but remanded several other claims.

The character of the appellant's discharge from active military service is not a bar to the receipt of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, and service connection was granted for bilateral pes planus and bilateral tinnitus. However, service connection was denied for acquired psychiatric disorder, traumatic brain injury (TBI), heel spurs condition, right knee, left knee, lower lumbar back, hypertension, hemorrhoids, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, tinnitus, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Hepatitis C, a thoracolumbar spine disability, and a left knee disability, as the evidence did not support a finding of a current diagnosis or a link to service.