Knee decisions — 2026

The Board has decided that service connection is granted for fibromyalgia and tinnitus. The remaining claims of service connection for a back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and cervical cancer are remanded due to procedural errors.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the service connection for lumbosacral strain, left and right knee conditions, and left and right eye conditions in May 2024.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities have been granted a combined rating of 60 percent, with ratings of 20 percent for limitation of flexion and extension, and 20 percent for cartilage dislocation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is new and relevant evidence to support the claim. The decision also finds that the current left knee disability is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for multiple clothing allowances for the calendar year 2023 is remanded due to missing records. The AOJ needs to reconstruct and associate all relevant documents with the claims file.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to require regular aid and attendance, nor does he have a service-connected disability individually ratable at 100 percent or be factually housebound. Therefore, special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or housebound status is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for right knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, neck condition, osteoarthritis left shoulder, osteoarthritis right shoulder, hypertension, low back condition, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraines.

The Veteran's initial claims for increased ratings and secondary service connection have been denied. The Veteran was granted secondary service connection for a left knee scar and left carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities and recurrent instability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5260, 5261, or 5257.

The Board has granted a 20 percent disability rating for the Veteran's left and right knee conditions since June 10, 2025. The ratings are effective as of that date.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection and disability evaluations, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression, bilateral shin splints, hypertension (HTN), left hip condition, left knee condition, lumbar spine condition, right hip condition, and right knee condition.

The Veteran's TDIU for PTSD is granted effective April 1, 2020. SMC at the housebound rate is also granted from December 12, 2022 due to additional service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral knee disability and hypertension due to a duty to assist error in prior VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of service connection for hypertension, bilateral knee, bilateral shoulder, and low back are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of his bilateral knee conditions have been dismissed due to a procedural defect in the filing of the appeal under the Modernized Appeals (AMA) system while a Legacy appeal was pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for patellofemoral syndrome, left knee and PTSD are remanded due to inadequate examinations and missing treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability but has remanded the claim for left shoulder disability due to lack of evidence of continuity of symptoms since service.

New and relevant evidence has been received to reconsider the claims for bilateral pes planus, hypertension, PTSD, and right knee disability.,The Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right knee disability and his active-duty service.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims for heart palpitations, right ear hearing loss disability, sinusitis, and increased ratings for various conditions. The Veteran was granted a compensable rating (10%) for left carpal tunnel syndrome.