Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteopenia (claimed as bone deficiency) secondary to medication was denied. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee condition with limitation of flexion, right knee condition with instability, and left meniscal tear were partially granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed as the NODs were not filed within a year of the AOJ's denials.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have not met the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee arthritis, finding that symptoms of arthritis began in service and have continued since separation. The decision is based on continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has determined that there are pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in this case and a VA medical opinion is required on remand to address the Veteran's claims for GERD, IBS, right knee disability, left knee disability, low back disability, and sinusitis.,Specifically, the Board finds that the current evidence does not support service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded for further review due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's initial rating for left knee strain and right knee strain is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's initial rating for right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain is granted at 20 percent effective from August 1, 2022.

The Veteran's application for PCAFC was denied due to a lack of personal care services. The Board finds the CEAT review inadequate and remands for further evaluation.

The Board has dismissed all claims due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and knee meniscal tear, left knee are denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an earlier effective date based on the lack of a formal or informal claim prior to July 28, 2016.

The Veteran's decreased vision is not service-connected due to being a refractive error, and there are no other superimposed eye disabilities attributable to his active service.,Service connection for left knee patellofemoral osteoarthritis, right knee patellofemoral osteoarthritis, left elbow condition, and right elbow condition is remanded as the VA medical opinions were inadequate due to lack of consideration of lay statements.

The appeal concerning service connection for left hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired mental health condition (depression, anxiety and insomnia), a lumbar spine condition, a right knee condition, and a left knee condition is dismissed. The appeals for service connection for headaches, erectile dysfunction, and gastrointestinal condition are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking the conditions to service or any other service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeals regarding PTSD, shoulder conditions, and knee conditions have been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance was granted, but the AOJ severed this benefit due to a scheduling error. The Board has now restored the entitlement.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability on the basis of recurrent instability, finding that the evidence showed no worse than slight instability.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and instability of the left knee are both rated at 10 percent, with no higher ratings granted. The decision also notes that the Veteran has continued to pursue this claim prior to changes in rating criteria.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee bursitis with instability, left knee bursitis with instability, and a back disability (kyphosis) as the evidence does not support that these conditions began during active service or are related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for plantar fasciitis, left knee disability, and left ankle disability have been granted. The conditions are found to be related to service.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and right foot residuals of frostbite have been granted service connection. The Veteran's bilateral flat feet (previously claimed as bilateral foot condition) and left hip osteoarthritis are remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee instability, stress fractures of the right and left legs (shin splints), finding that there is no persuasive evidence of current disabilities during or proximate to the appeal period.