Knee decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for additional medical examinations. The appeals are now pending before the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for limitation of flexion of the right knee is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for lumbosacral strain and limitation of extension of the right hip are remanded due to inadequate VA examination findings.

The Veteran is denied an effective date prior to July 12, 2023 for the grant of a 30 percent rating for right knee joint effusion with medial collateral ligament sprain and chondromalacia patella with limitation of extension.,An effective date of October 26, 2021 but no earlier is granted for the separate award of service connection for left knee limitation of extension.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an addendum opinion from a clinician regarding the Veteran's right knee condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate medical opinions provided in previous VA examinations. The Veteran is requested to provide a new examination that includes an adequate opinion and rationale.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an addendum opinion from a VA clinician.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating of his right knee disability due to inadequate nexus opinions provided by the January 2025 VA examiner. The Veteran is also required to undergo a new VA examination to clarify range of motion findings with repeated use over time and during flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the Veteran's representative stating they wish to withdraw the appeal regarding an increased rating for status post total left knee replacement and a temporary total for convalescence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral foot, hip, knee, and back disabilities, as well as a skin disorder, lung disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder, have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions during his period of active service or recent to the filing of the claim.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in March 2020 and September 2020 are inadequate for rating purposes, as they did not adequately address the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities during the entire rating period on appeal. The Board requests additional retrospective medical opinions to determine the functional loss due to flare-ups and whether the Veteran's pain on motion is equivalent to ankylosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee strain, and right knee degenerative disease due to incomplete development of evidence. The VA needs to obtain audiograms from May 2016 and June 2018, conduct a new VA examination for bilateral hearing loss, and provide an Addendum Opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, finding no evidence of chronicity or continuity of care related to the in-service injury. The Veteran's current condition is not considered incurred in or caused by service.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was also denied as secondary to PTSD, with the examiner noting that there is no causal relationship between PTSD and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities, characterized by flexion limited with pain during flare-ups resulting in inability to bend the knee, have been granted a 30 percent rating for each knee.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a recurrent left knee disability, including chronic pain, should be remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since October 20, 2017. The Board has granted a TDIU effective that date.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis, finding no evidence of chronic symptoms in service or continuity after service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision on any of the issues raised.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder and insomnia, with obesity as an intermediate step. The decision is based on evidence that suggests the OSA was caused by the obesity resulting from the service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left, right ankle disabilities and bilateral knee disabilities. The Veteran's current ankle and knee conditions are found to have started in or are otherwise caused by his active service.,Service connection was denied for a bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claims for coronary artery disease, hypertension, aortic aneurysm, left knee disability, and right knee disability have been granted.,Service connection has been established for these conditions based on their presumed relationship to herbicide exposure during service.