Knee decisions — 2025

The Veteran was granted an earlier effective date of October 29, 2012, for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the loss of use of his right foot and both feet.

The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Board granted an effective date of September 14, 2016 for the award of service connection for left and right knee total knee replacements.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hemorrhoids, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis with patellar instability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, paranoid reaction, obstructive sleep apnea, and increased ratings for tinnitus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and TMJ disorder.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal, and the Board dismissed the case.

The Board denied an increased rating for tinnitus and granted earlier effective dates for the ratings of various service-connected conditions, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and other disorders.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating and service connection as they require further development, including a pre-decisional hearing notice and adequate medical examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee strain, right knee bursitis, and intervertebral disc syndrome due to insufficient evidence of additional limitation in motion or instability that would warrant higher ratings.

The Board denied service connection for a sleep disorder and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee tendinosis status post partial ACL tear, but remanded the claim for service connection for a migraine headache disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left, right knee, and right hip disabilities to obtain outstanding non-VA medical records.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's ringing in his ears began during service and has continued to the present day. The claims for service connection for cervical spine strain, left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, right knee strain, left knee strain, right lower extremity shin splints, and left lower extremity shin splints were remanded for further development.

The appeal for service connection for multiple disabilities is remanded due to an error by the agency of original jurisdiction in satisfying the regulatory duty to provide notice of the Veteran's right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The appeal for service connection for a knee condition was dismissed as the September 2022 rating decision did not address any issue regarding the knees.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, migraines, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus to obtain additional evidence.

The Board granted service connection for left knee and right knee disabilities, as well as a bilateral foot condition by way of aggravation. Migraine headaches were denied.

The Board granted service connection for a right knee condition as secondary to the right ankle condition, finding that the evidence more likely than not shows the Veteran's current right knee condition is due to his service-connected right ankle condition.

The Board granted restoration of a 10 percent disability rating for right knee scarring and a 50 percent disability rating for bilateral pes planus, effective April 19, 2022. The appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU and SMC was denied, as was the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee painful limitation of extension and a separate 20 percent rating for left knee patellar instability, but denied increased ratings for the other issues.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to ratings in excess of 10 percent for lumbar, right knee, and left knee disorders due to inconsistencies between the Veteran's lay statements and examination findings.