Knee decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection and initial rating to correct duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining new medical opinions and providing notice of the right to a hearing.

The Board remands the claims for a pre-decisional hearing to satisfy the Veteran's right to notice of his hearing rights.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right knee disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and residuals of a head injury to verify periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA and obtain new VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his back disability was denied, while the claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders were remanded for readjudication.

The Board remands the claims for an earlier effective date for increased ratings of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and right knee disabilities due to duty-to-assist errors in prior examinations.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of a left hand disability and denied service connection for rhinitis. The claims for service connection for right knee strain, left knee condition, back condition, neck condition, left hip condition, and right hip condition were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as a suicide attempt), and left shoulder disability. The claim for COPD/emphysema was remanded.

The Board granted a rating of 30 percent for right knee instability and denied an increased rating for right knee limitation of extension, effective September 12, 2023.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing was granted, while his TDIU claim prior to May 31, 2020, was denied. The low back disability rating issue is remanded for further development.

The Board remands the matters of entitlement to an initial disability rating for the service-connected lumbar spine and right knee disabilities as additional development is needed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and abdominal pain, finding that both conditions were not related to her military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back condition, bilateral knee condition, and bilateral foot condition for readjudication with consideration of any new evidence.

The Board remands the claims for examinations to consider the ameliorative effects of medication when evaluating the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities.

The Board denied entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for right knee meniscal tear with anterior ligament tear and DJD, and in excess of 30 percent for meniscal tear with anterior ligament tear and degenerative joint disease/fibrocartilaginous defect, right knee. However, the Board granted entitlement to a separate disability rating of 10 percent for limitation of extension, right knee.

The Board remands the claims for a left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, and headaches to obtain additional medical evidence. The right knee and left knee claims are denied.

The Board remands the matter for a VA addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's left knee disability is directly related to service or was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating of 20 percent, but no higher, for left knee limitation of flexion was granted as of December 12, 2023.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain with chondromalacia prior to July 27, 2020, due to the need for an in-person VA examination and information regarding the competency of the examiner.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a neck, back, bilateral knee, and left humerus bone tumor disabilities to ensure all pertinent records are in the claim file and to afford the Veteran an assessment of his current disability status.

The Board denied service connection for a headache disability and a left knee disability, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused the conditions.