Knee decisions — 2026

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,Readjudication of the claims for service connection for chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee DJD, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by his active service and that it had its onset during service.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disorders, finding no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after military service. The VA examiners concluded that the current knee disorders are not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and left ankle conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.,VA will obtain any relevant private treatment records, including from the Santa Cruz Women's Health Center.

The VA has granted a disability rating of 30 percent for left knee chondromalacia with osteochondritis dissecans and degenerative arthritis s/p surgery effective October 25, 2022. The appellant previously had a 10 percent rating from February 7, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, OSA, and dismissed service connection claims for rotator cuff tears and a knee meniscus tear.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including partial amputation of the left foot and related conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, dizziness, sleep apnea, left knee osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease with Osgood Schlatter's disease, right knee osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease, left ankle condition, and left thumb dislocation to include buckling due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, is granted. The left knee scars and meniscal tear are rated at 30 percent each, effective as of the date of decision.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for acquired psychiatric disorder, and increased ratings for left knee patellofemoral syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was also remanded.

The Veteran's right knee strain, left knee strain, and low back disability are all granted as service-connected. The claims for higher ratings on the right hip disabilities and service connection for a left hip disability (secondary to service-connected conditions) are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal as his September 2020 substantive appeal was not timely filed, based on the VA Form 9 being received after the expiration of the 60-day time limit for filing a substantive appeal following the February 2020 SOC.

Your appeal to add a left knee disability to your service-connected conditions was dismissed because you did not file your appeal within one year of the May 2023 decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the December 2024 VA examination, which did not address pain levels or post-surgical scars. The Board will schedule an appropriate VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral foot condition and remanded the claims for hypertension, right knee condition, right shoulder condition, back condition, neck condition, and bilateral upper extremity nerve condition due to incomplete evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulation. The claims for left and right ankle disabilities, left and right knee disabilities, and cervical spine disability are remanded for further development.

The Board has denied a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss and has remanded the issue of entitlement to a higher disability rating for left knee arthritis status post mechanical trauma with osteochondral defect of the medial femoral condyle.,VA previously rated the appellant's left knee condition as 10 percent disabling under DC 5261. The VA examination report was inadequate, failing to consider the appellant's lay statements regarding functional loss and not addressing the effects of medication.

The Board has remanded the claims for a higher initial rating for right shoulder bursitis with degenerative joint disease and right knee retropatellar pain syndrome, as well as the claim for TDIU due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip, neck, left knee, lumbar spine, and right shoulder disabilities secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.,Reasoning: The evidence is in approximate balance regarding whether each of these conditions are caused by or aggravated by the service-connected right knee disability.