Knee decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the right shoulder, back disability, left leg amputation, type II diabetes mellitus, and rotary nystagmus. The Veteran's claims were not supported by credible evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee replacement with instability and right knee instability with total knee arthroplasty, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran requested the withdrawal of all issues currently on appeal, and the Board dismissed the appeals.

The appeal for service connection for headaches, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, right knee, left knee, and right shoulder was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Board Appeal request.

The Board denied service connection for a neck strain and obstructive sleep apnea, as there was no evidence of these conditions during the pendency of the claim or approximate thereto. The claims for other conditions were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the issues of whether a reduction in rating for a left knee disability from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective September 6, 2024, was proper and entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for a left knee disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee tendonitis and lumbosacral myositis with lumbar disc degeneration, as the evidence did not support a higher disability rating.

The Board granted separate initial ratings of 20 percent for right and left knee tendonitis with arthritis based on limitation of flexion, granted a 10 percent rating for right and left knee instability, and granted an initial rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain with curvature of the spine and degenerative disc disease (DDD) and right lower extremity sciatica.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability, to include degenerative arthritis, based on the Veteran's competent and credible testimony of continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the increased rating, denied ratings in excess of 10 and 20 percent for left knee instability, and found that a reduction in the skin disability rating was not proper.

The Board granted service connection for right hip, left hip, right knee and left knee disabilities based on the evidence showing that these conditions had their onset in service.

The Board remands the matter for an additional VA examination to obtain a retrospective assessment of range of motion findings and address the impact of weight-bearing vs. non-weight-bearing postures on the Veteran's right knee.

The Board remanded four issues regarding the Veteran's right knee conditions and total disability rating for individual unemployability, vacating the prior July 2024 denial decision following a Veterans Court order. The remand was necessary to obtain medical opinions addressing the ameliorative effects of the Veteran's medications on his right knee disabilities, as required under recent case law.

The appeal for service connection for a left knee disability was dismissed as the claim was granted by the agency of original jurisdiction prior to the Board's decision, making it moot. The remaining claims were remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding flare-up effects on range of motion.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance that the Veteran's left knee disability began during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including anxiety disorder, brain tumor, obstructive sleep apnea, and multiple joint and hand disabilities, as there was no evidence of a current disability.

The Board restored the 20 percent rating for right knee instability and remanded claims for increased ratings and service connection for left and right knees.

The Board remands the case for an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, including whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeals for extensions of time to file Board Appeal requests were denied, and the attempted appeals are therefore dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and tinnitus, but remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, a bilateral hand disability, a bilateral knee/leg disability, an acquired psychiatric disability, a heart disability, and a back disability.