Knee decisions — 2026

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address incomplete service treatment records and clarify his periods of active duty, including his time in the Marine Corps Reserve. The rating for tinnitus remains denied as it already meets the maximum schedular evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current left knee gout and his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left ankle disabilities, as well as a left knee disability claimed as secondary to a service-connected condition. The evidence does not support finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's left shoulder arthroscopic labral tear repair with residual pain and decreased range of motion is granted a disability rating of 30 percent, but no higher. Other conditions are denied or not rated.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee strain, left ankle strain, and right hip muscle strain (right hip strain) as the evidence does not establish that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease. The claims for left knee strain, right shin splints, left shin splints, right ankle strain, lumbar strain, and acquired psychiatric disability have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision. The Veteran's current diagnoses include left and right knee strains, but there is insufficient evidence to determine their etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran is entitled to VA examinations to determine if his claimed disabilities are related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected left ankle, left knee, right knee, and PTSD disorders have been granted. The Veteran is now assigned a 50% disability rating for his PTSD.

All appeals concerning service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to the invalidity of the initial Notice of Disagreement submitted by the Veteran's surviving spouse before substitution was approved.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed it.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as she does not have current bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, cervical spondylosis, fibromyalgia, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD, depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder), disability manifested by atypical chest pain and breathing problems, and left shoulder disability are all remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an extension of time to file a Board Appeal request regarding the April 18, 2024 rating decision that granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, rhinitis, and migraines and denied service connection for a left knee strain. The appeal was dismissed as untimely.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee painful extension, low back disability, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran is also seeking earlier effective dates for service connection.

The Veteran's right knee strain is related to an in-service right leg injury and service connection for this condition has been granted. Service connection for the right shoulder condition remains pending as a remanded issue.

Your appeal has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claims for lumbar spine, neck, left hip, and left knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his back and knee disabilities, as the most recent VA examinations did not adequately assess the severity of these conditions due to a lack of consideration of flare-ups. The case is therefore being remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right knee disabilities, as well as limited flexion and extension issues, were granted with effective dates of December 15, 2019.

The Veteran's right knee derangement of the anterior horn of the medial meniscus, status post arthroscopic surgery, is currently rated at 10 percent for limitation of flexion. The Board denied an initial rating greater than 10 percent.