Knee decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and denied increased ratings for migraine headaches, reactive airway disease, and allergic rhinitis. The issues of service connection for eczema, pseudofolliculitis barbae, a right knee disability, and an increased rating for other reaction to severe stress disorder were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and right knee disability, but denied an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Board denied a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and remanded the claims for increased ratings for left ankle sprain, left shoulder strain, left knee strain, and right knee sprain due to the need to discount the effects of medication.

The Board denied service connection for left elbow, right hip, right ankle, and right knee disabilities as the weight of evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had current chronic diagnoses or functional limitations during the appeal period.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for granting service connection for a left knee scar as secondary to his total knee replacement.

The veteran's appeal request was denied as it was not timely filed, and no good cause was shown to extend the filing period.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims for service connection for left knee joint pain, right knee joint pain, mid and lower back pain (back pain), and vertigo were remanded.

The appeal for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, claimed as osteoarthritis, was withdrawn by the Veteran and is therefore dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for dyshidrotic eczema of the hands and denied service connection for chronic headaches, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, left hip strain with various limitations, left knee joint osteoarthritis, pain of lumbar spine, and other specified trauma-and stressor-related disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) as she did not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Board dismissed the appeal for accrued benefits related to increased ratings for various conditions, as the July 2024 rating decision was a purely ministerial implementation of the June 2024 Board decision and not appealable.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right knee condition to correct pre-decisional errors in the duty to assist.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, a disability manifested by nausea/motion sickness, and a right knee disability due to insufficient evidence supporting the claims.

The Board remands the claim for a left knee disability to ensure an adequate medical examination is conducted, addressing direct service connection and secondary causation and aggravation theories.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, jaw disorder, hernias, right hand disorder, left hand disorder, left index finger disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder as there was no evidence of a current disability at any time during the appeal period.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to August 20, 2024, and 30 percent thereafter for left knee DJD and entitlement to a TDIU for further development.

The Board granted a separate noncompensable rating for left knee arthritis based on limitation of extension from August 11, 2015 to June 18, 2020 and a 10 percent rating, but no higher, for the same condition from June 18, 2020 to January 6, 2021. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee arthritis from November 25, 2013 to January 6, 2021 was denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for right knee limitation of flexion and dislocated semilunar cartilage, but granted a compensable disability rating for right knee instability.

The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for chronic laryngitis but denied an initial compensable rating for injury to the pharynx. The Board also remanded several service connection claims and a TDIU claim.

The Board denied service connection for multiple disabilities, including left knee, right knee, lower back, upper back/neck, right shoulder, and bilateral foot conditions.