Knee decisions — 2026

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as well as his eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The VA will need to review the evidence and conduct further examinations to determine the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The propriety of the reduction of ratings for right ankle strain and left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain from 10% to noncompensable effective April 1, 2025 is dismissed.,The propriety of the reduction of a rating for right knee osteoarthritis status post meniscectomy with residual pain from 20% to noncompensable effective April 1, 2025 is dismissed. The AOJ restored the 20% rating.

Service connection for onychomycosis has been granted, but the appeal is dismissed as it represents a full grant of benefits.,The issue of duty to assist error having been identified during the higher-level review for onychomycosis is also dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral knee strain and lumbosacral strain was granted on February 28, 2024. The Board denied an earlier effective date because the first complete claim (for sleep apnea) was filed after the ITF.

The Board has found that VA did not obtain all relevant Social Security Administration records, which may contain pertinent medical evidence. The case is therefore being remanded to allow for the retrieval of these records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee strain with degenerative arthritis, as secondary to his service-connected right knee strain and degenerative arthritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 5, 2024, for service connection and evaluations of various conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, chronic shoulder pain, and chronic knee pain as the evidence did not support a causal relationship to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on all issues related to service connection for various lower extremity and joint disabilities due to a procedural defect in filing his appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left knee and right hip replacements, as well as his initial compensable ratings for scarring from melanoma and basal cell skin cancer, have all been denied. The Board found that the current disabilities are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is dismissed. The Veteran's right knee replacement disability and lower extremity peripheral nerve disabilities are granted with increased ratings, but the Veteran does not meet criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the Board Appeal request was not timely filed within one year of the rating decision, and no good cause for extension was presented.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities due to a duty to assist error in failing to consider the ameliorative effects of medication on the severity of his disabilities, as well as errors in obtaining VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and missing VA treatment records. The claims will be reviewed again with new evidence considered.

The Veteran is granted earlier effective dates of August 21, 2015 for TDIU and DEA benefits due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right knee conditions, finding no current disability or in-service incurrence of these conditions.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of August 20, 2002 for the service connection awards of right and left knee conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, restoration of ratings for knee instability, and a rating in excess of 10% for right hip strain with trochanteric pain syndrome are denied. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for right and left knee instability is granted with respect to the 10% ratings since October 9, 2024.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of low back and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The examiner is required to provide an addendum opinion addressing whether these disabilities are related to service, or if they were caused by or aggravated by a service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and right foot disabilities began in service and have continued since separation, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.