Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence showing a current diagnosis or functional loss related to this condition.,For PTSD, the Veteran received an increased rating from 70% to 100%, effective January 17, 2025. This decision also granted initial ratings of 50% for migraine headaches and 100% for hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's eligibility for enrollment in VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) due to her not requiring personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on an inability to perform one or more activities of daily living, a need for supervision or protection, or a need for regular or extensive instruction without which the ability to function in daily life would be seriously impaired.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors in determining the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee and left ankle conditions.

Effective dates of August 24, 2022, but no earlier, have been granted for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disorders (manifested by painful motion and scars), and right knee disorder.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a left knee disability, as secondary to service-connected disabilities, due to the AOJ's failure to consider this issue in its first instance. The Veteran was granted service connection for right foot strain and left foot strain, which are now considered in determining the secondary service connection.

The Veteran's cause of death, a fatal motor vehicle accident, was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. The Board found the VA medical opinions more probative than the private medical opinion.

The Board has found that the Veteran experienced arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, hips, lumbar spine, and left knee since active duty service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the service connection for right knee condition with pain before a decision was made.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for entitlement to an effective date prior to May 7, 2024, for service connection of residuals of meniscectomy of the right knee, right knee cartilage loss of the lateral femoral condyle, and right knee scars.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings due to incomplete evidence and an error in satisfying a regulatory or statutory duty.

The Board has remanded the claims for Alzheimer's disease, left knee disability, left shoulder and arm pain, psychological disability (PTSD), and seizure disorder due to a duty to assist error in obtaining the Veteran's service records from the National Personnel Records Center.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, and PTSD due to inadequate medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for left arm condition, bilateral knee conditions, bilateral hip conditions, and low back conditions. The Veteran's reports of in-service noise exposure are credible, but the evidence does not support a finding that his current conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's need for aid and attendance is due to his service-connected PTSD, which restricts his ability to manage medications, handle finances, and prepare meals. The evidence also indicates that he requires assistance with activities of daily living due to his service-connected lumbar spine condition.,The Veteran does not meet the criteria for SMC based on loss of use of any extremity as none of his service-connected conditions result in such impairment.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing and/or a special home adaptation grant is being remanded due to the need for further examination to determine his eligibility based on service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected left knee and psychiatric disabilities, which have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to credibility issues with his testimony and lack of supporting medical evidence. The case is being returned for additional development, including obtaining records from the Army National Guard period, left knee surgery records, clarification on TERA exposure details, and a new opinion regarding prostate cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is granted. The claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for the Veteran's right shoulder strain, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right wrist strain, left wrist strain, right knee strain, and left knee strain are inadequate. The claims are therefore being remanded to schedule new examinations.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to the assigned dates of October 21, 2022, and May 1, 2023, for service connection were denied as there was no factual basis to establish entitlement before those dates.