Knee decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the evidence was in equipoise as to whether there were not any defects, infirmities, or disorders noted at entrance into service and that the Veteran's preexisting left knee disability was not aggravated during his period of active duty.

The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities and denied increased ratings for hypertension, lumbar spine disability, right sciatic radiculopathy, and multiple right knee and hip conditions.

The Board granted service connection for TMJ dysfunction with pain and remanded the claims for psychiatric disability, rectal disability, left knee disability, and right shoulder disability.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for tinnitus and granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, but remanded a claim for a thoracolumbar spine disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various strains and an eating disorder, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to the conditions and no evidence that the current conditions were caused or worsened by the service-connected rhabdomyolysis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, except for a 30% rating for bilateral pes planus prior to November 19, 2023, and a non-compensable rating for right knee limited extension since March 4, 2024.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for migraines, a left knee condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain additional evidence.

The appeal for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative arthritis with patellar enthesophy has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder degenerative changes, left shoulder degenerative changes, neck disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and left hand arthritis as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board granted effective dates of October 14, 2022, for the assignment of separate and increased ratings for various service-connected conditions.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions due to untimely filing of a Notice of Disagreement.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including left elbow strain, right elbow strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, left hip strain, right hip strain, left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, left upper extremity nerve disability secondary to cervical strain, obstructive sleep apnea, and a cardiac disability.

The Board granted service connection for a right knee disability, finding that the evidence supports an etiological relationship between the Veteran's current condition and their active-duty service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sinusitis, diverticulosis and benign neoplasm rectosigmoid junction, GERD and reflux esophagitis, right knee disability, and left knee disability to cure errors in fulfilling VA's duty to assist.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for all service connection and rating issues, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings of the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining any outstanding non-VA treatment records and clarifying the Veteran's surgical history.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence of a current left knee disability, limitation of motion more nearly approximating extension limited to 15 degrees in the right knee, or greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side for chronic allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's right knee instability has been granted an initial rating of 20 percent, and the claims for service connection for arthritis, a left foot condition, a left knee condition, a left shoulder condition, and a right shoulder condition have been remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or TDIU.