Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee strain with joint osteoarthritis, granted an initial 10 percent rating for hypertension and chronic cough, and remanded claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and migraine headaches.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic pain due to bilateral total knee arthroplasty, pes planus with plantar fasciitis, and a bilateral hearing loss disability to cure pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability and a right knee disability, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to clarify whether the Veteran has a right knee condition that was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability and left plantar fasciitis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left knee pain, pelvic pain, and urinary tract issues due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied service connection for malignant melanoma, bilateral hearing loss, and urinary tract condition. It granted an initial 10 percent evaluation for hypertension associated with herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right knee Osgood-Schlatter's disease with meniscal tear, finding that the disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct duty-to-assist errors, as the prior VA examinations were found inadequate due to reliance on inaccurate information or failure to address relevant evidence.

The Board denied the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of the bilateral lower extremities, as there was no evidence that a service-connected disability caused or contributed to the Veteran's double amputation.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities but granted an earlier effective date of October 23, 2015, for eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Board granted a separate disability rating of 30 percent for left knee degenerative arthritis (limitation of extension) from April 7, 2021, to January 23, 2023, and a separate disability rating of 20 percent for moderate subluxation and instability from April 7, 2021, to January 9, 2023. The claim for an increased rating for left knee degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion) was denied.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as mood depressive disorder, due to the evidence being at least evenly balanced. The claims for left knee strain with medial collateral ligament sprain, right knee strain with medial collateral ligament sprain, right shoulder disability, and right hip disability were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellar tendonitis and entitlement to TDIU due to an inadequate examination report.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a right knee disability, and a left knee disability due to an incomplete VA medical opinion.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for a lower back condition, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a right knee condition.

The Board granted service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the spine, finding that it was caused by the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, right tendonitis, and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis.

The veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection and a compensable rating for various conditions, including asthma, sinusitis, hypertension, left hip disability, sciatic left lower extremity, right hip disability, right knee disability, and migraine headaches.

The Board granted an increased rating of 30 percent for left knee instability, effective September 25, 2023, but denied a higher rating or additional ratings for the left knee disability.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to her military service. The appeal of other claims was remanded.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for headaches. Several claims were remanded for further development.