Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left knee conditions have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by the Veteran's authorized representative.

The Board has determined that there are errors in the decision-making process related to service connection for lower back, right knee, and left knee conditions. The claims are being remanded to allow for further review and consideration of these issues.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed. The appeals for right hand, left shoulder, right knee, and bilateral plantar fasciitis disabilities have all been denied. The appeal for low back and left knee disabilities is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, ankle, lumbar spine, and chest conditions due to lack of new and relevant evidence submitted within one year of the prior final denial.

The Veteran's service connection for a right wrist sprain is granted. The initial rating for PTSD remains at 30 percent, and the claims for CFS, fibromyalgia, functional abdominal pain, dermatosis of the eyelid, dermatosis of the ear, right knee instability, left knee instability, right foot pain, and left foot pain are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is not service-connected due to lack of in-service onset and no medical evidence supporting a late-onset noise-induced tinnitus. The Veteran's thigh and shoulder conditions are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle gout, right ankle gout, left knee gout, left wrist gout, and right wrist gout. The Veteran's claim for right knee gout was incorporated into an already service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been found to preclude all substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU effective March 29, 2022. Effective March 21, 2025, the Veteran is also in receipt of SMC due to his combined rating exceeding 70%.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PFB. The right knee instability claim was granted with an effective date of March 23, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for left knee ACL tear and TDIU are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for right knee with vascular damage leading to amputation and a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee arthritis due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions have been remanded multiple times, and as a result, the appeals are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, erectile dysfunction, and sleep apnea due to a failure to obtain all of the appellant's service treatment records. The VA is also required to schedule examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the appellant's claimed erectile dysfunction and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed as the claims have been fully granted with effective dates assigned.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) due to weight gain caused by her service-connected cervical degenerative disc disease, lumbar facet arthrosis, left knee disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The decision resolves all reasonable doubts in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a bilateral knee disability, and the Board has dismissed it.

The Veteran's neck disability, diagnosed as cervical degenerative disc disease and cervical loss of disc height, is granted. The right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, back disability (lumbar degenerative disc disease, multi-level spondylolisthesis, lumbar loss of disc height, and lumbar degenerative scoliosis), right knee osteoarthritis status post ACL tear repair, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee scar are all granted.,The Veteran's neck disability is linked to his service in the United States Navy, including high impact repetitive activities like running, jumping, squatting, and leaning forward with head down for use of scope. The back disability is related to his years of duty serving in the Navy, as well.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for his right knee disability, finding that it began during active service and resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there is a link between his current diagnoses and his military service.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis and instability are being remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a medical opinion regarding the severity of her conditions without medication, and whether she experiences recurrent subluxation or persistent instability.