Knee decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his current conditions.

The Veteran's trochanteric bursitis of the left hip is granted service connection and rated at 10 percent. The Veteran's left knee strain remains rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee condition, hypertension, and bilateral plantar fasciitis due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's STRs show elevated blood pressure levels during service, which may be related to his current hypertension.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability present during or within one year after her period of active duty. The Board also found insufficient medical evidence to establish a link between any current knee conditions and her military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of a hand or foot, permanent impairment of both eyes, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of a knee or hip. Therefore, the Veteran is denied financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, or adaptive equipment only.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot drop as secondary to the service-connected lumbosacral spine condition. The claims for right ankle, right knee, and left knee conditions are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to procedural issues and a need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's bilateral knee strain, limitation of extension is currently rated at 10 percent from June 25, 2024 to March 4, 2025. The appeal for increased evaluations prior to this date has been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to address specific circumstances.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at a minimum of 10 percent, and the Board finds that she meets the criteria for this rating. The TDIU claim was denied as her service-connected disabilities do not render her incapable of securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for left and right knee disabilities due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate examination reports. The Veteran's symptoms and range of motion need to be assessed without medication effects, and the examiner should differentiate between service-connected conditions and any incomplete ligament tears.

The Board denied service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease with meniscal tear, right knee disability (including arthritis, limited flexion, swelling, and instability), and bilateral pes planus.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis or functional loss related to the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, specifically whether it is approximately at least as likely as not that his service-connected left foot fracture with pes planus was a 'but-for cause' of (caused an increase in severity or inability to treat) the claimed left knee disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The remaining issues are remanded for further development and examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD, a bilateral knee strain, low back pain, a neck condition, and posttraumatic arthritis of the right long finger. The Veteran was also denied service connection for an unspecified anxiety disorder and allergic rhinitis, as well as GERD.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis on a secondary basis, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings and service connection was denied due to the untimely filing of a Board Appeal request.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, thoracolumbar spine disorder, and chronic migraine headaches on a direct basis. The effective date is May 18, 2019.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, effective May 15, 2023. The appeal for a higher rating or an earlier effective date was denied.