Knee decisions — 2025

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right knee disabilities due to insufficient prior examinations and a need for additional retrospective examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from May 16, 2009, to March 10, 2013. The Board granted TDIU and DEA benefits during this period.

The Board remands the issues of service connection for a left foot disorder, increased ratings for right knee conditions, and TDIU due to further development needed.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for right and left knee arthritis due to a new examination being required.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability for the AOJ to provide the Veteran and his representative with the curriculum vitae, education, and qualifications of the VA examiner who performed the December 2023 examination.

The Board has determined that the previous directives were not substantially complied with and an additional remand is necessary to ensure due process and a complete record for the Veteran's claim of TDIU prior to April 10, 2018.

The Board remands the issue of service connection for left knee joint osteoarthritis to obtain a new examination opinion addressing whether it was aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee condition and right knee scar were denied as the Veteran failed to appear for scheduled VA examinations, and the evidence did not support a higher rating based on pain alone.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis from June 8, 2011 due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The appeal for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The appeals for right knee, left knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, lumbar disorders, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.

The veteran's appeals for knee ratings were dismissed as he withdrew them. The appeal for service connection of a psychiatric disorder was remanded for further evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for migraines and knee strains, finding that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 30 percent for migraines or 10 percent for the knee conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a higher rating for their left knee scar, stating that the scar did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation or a higher evaluation due to pain.

Service connection for right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, and right elbow arthritis is granted. Other issues related to the knees are denied.

Service connection for the veteran's left knee meniscal tear with degenerative joint disease and right knee degenerative arthritis, claimed as secondary to a service-connected left ankle injury, is denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, right hip, and right ankle disabilities were withdrawn. The claims for left foot disability, low back disability, left hip disability, left ankle disability, and respiratory disability were denied.

The appeal was dismissed because the veteran did not file a timely notice of disagreement and good cause for the late filing was not shown.

The Board remanded the claim for service connection of a right knee disorder to correct an error in assisting the veteran's claim. The Board will consider new evidence after the remand.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for right knee degenerative arthritis, stating that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent.

The veteran's left hip disability is service-connected because it was caused by their service-connected left knee disability.