Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine and left knee traumatic arthritis have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to a scheduled hearing.

The Veteran's service connection claims for neuropathy tremors numbness, right hand and left hand, right knee condition, and back condition as secondary to pes planus have been granted. The claim for neuropathy tremors numbness, left foot has also been granted. However, the claim for neuropathy tremors numbness, right foot and left knee condition remains denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to July 25, 2016 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Board found that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to September 18, 2015, and thus did not warrant a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities has been increased to a 20 percent rating, effective November 8, 2025.,A 10 percent disability rating is granted for the Veteran's surgical scar, left knee.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for chronic sinusitis and denied his claims for service connection of right knee genu recurvatum, bilateral foot gout, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disabilities, right and left ear tinnitus, and knee disabilities have been granted. The hearing loss claims are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and a failure to obtain necessary evidence. The AOJ will seek additional VA medical opinions that consider all relevant lay and medical evidence, including the Veteran's statements about his in-service injuries.

The Veteran's right knee condition had its initial onset during active service and the Board granted entitlement to service connection for this condition. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for a right hip condition due to inadequate VA examination.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, and thus remands the case.

The Board denied separate compensable ratings for instability of the right and left knees, finding that there was no evidence of knee instability during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the issues of earlier effective dates for tinnitus and left knee strain have been moot due to previous appeals on these matters. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis with meniscal tear, status-post total knee replacement and right hip degenerative arthritis with total hip replacement, finding that the evidence is in 'approximate balance' or 'nearly equal' to support these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her left and right knee replacements, finding that there was no evidence of severe painful motion or weakness in either knee.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 12, 2015 for the grants of service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, right hip strain (limitation of flexion), and left hip strain (limitation of flexion). The claims for earlier effective dates for right hip strain (limitation of extension) are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, except for eczema and skin rash, are associated with his subsequent period of active duty after he received separation pay. Therefore, the appeal is granted as recoupment of the Veteran's separation pay in the amount of $13,271.16 is improper.

The Board denied service connection for right hip, left hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,VA examiners concluded that the osteoarthritis in the hips and knees was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected shrapnel injuries and related skin conditions caused his clothing to stain and wear out at an increased rate, warranting annual clothing allowances for the use of topical medications.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher disability rating for his left knee condition has been remanded due to the inadequacy of the June 2019 VA examination. The case will be returned for further evaluation and consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted based on additional evidence.