Knee decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating in excess of the current ratings for various musculoskeletal conditions.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, right knee, left hip, and right hip disabilities as they were not shown to be related to the Veteran's active duty or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, right knee pain (bilateral knee condition), left knee pain (bilateral knee condition), chronic right hip pain (bilateral hip condition), left hip condition (bilateral hip condition), rectal cancer (colon cancer), chronic fecal incontinence (bowel condition), and urinary incontinence. The claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus Type II were remanded.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and granted increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and right ankle disability.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 2, 2018, for service connection for various disabilities.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various disabilities, including PTSD with other specified depressive disorder and multiple wrist and finger pain conditions.

The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for tension headaches effective September 13, 2022, but denied earlier effective dates and service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including herniation and bulging disk L4 through S1, knee pain with osteoarthritis, an acquired psychiatric disorder, cubital tunnel syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neuropathy. However, the Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for chronic headaches.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded service connection claims.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain and denied or remanded the other issues on appeal.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability based on the Veteran's in-service reports of knee pain and current symptoms.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disorder, finding it to be related to the Veteran's service or his already service-connected right knee disability.

The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied higher ratings for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, left and right knee strains, a left lower leg scar based on pain, a left lower leg scar based on underlying soft tissue damage, and adult acne with scarring.

The veteran withdrew all pending appeals on April 28, 2025.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for left knee strain, as the earliest claim was received on December 1, 2023.

The Board denied service connection for cervical strain and a compensable rating for scars post-removal of squamous cell carcinomas, while remanding several other claims including diabetes mellitus, type II, diabetic neuropathies, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, left knee disability, traumatic brain injury with post-concussion syndrome migraines, and left hip disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee pain as there was no evidence of record to support a finding that the Veteran's current knee pain began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board granted service connection for panic disorder, but remanded the claims for right knee disability, left knee disability, and diabetes.

The Veteran is granted an additional month of a total disability rating for his right knee, concluding on November 1, 2024.