Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's rating for lumbosacral spine strain has been restored to 40 percent, effective August 28, 2024. The remaining claims have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine is granted service connection. The claims for hyperlipidemia, lower left and right radiculopathy, heart issues (likely including atrial fibrillation), hypertension, left knee disability, and right knee disability are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right ankle, left ankle, and left knee disabilities are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA examiner must provide an opinion regarding the onset of these conditions during active service or their relation to incidents in service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee strain. The cases of cervical spine condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, left lower extremity condition (radiculopathy), right shoulder condition, and left shoulder condition are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for left Boutonniere deformity, left elbow post-traumatic pain and medial epicondylitis, left upper extremity neuropathy, and left knee strain. The case is remanded for a VA examination to address the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's left shoulder condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 24, 2014 for the grant of service connection for bilateral knee instability under Diagnostic Code (DC) 5257.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for OSA as secondary to service-connected disabilities and obesity. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, GERD, low back disability, right knee disability, and right hip disabilities are being considered.

The Veteran's VA examinations were not conducted due to transportation issues. The Board has determined that the AOJ failed to make reasonable attempts to reschedule the exams and thus remands for further action.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings to 30 percent each, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 18, 2023 for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is granted. The evidence shows that the Veteran required regular aid and attendance due to his Parkinson's disease and related conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment allowance is remanded due to unclear functional loss in his lower extremities resulting from service-connected disabilities. The Board finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error occurred by failing to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability is denied as service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, as it was not incurred or aggravated by his active service or related to a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the Veteran's claims for higher ratings in several service-connected conditions. The issues are being remanded for further development, including additional examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his right knee disability and a rating in excess of 20 percent for his right ankle disability due to issues with VA's duty to assist and inadequate examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for facial scarring, left and right foot disabilities, left and right ankle disabilities, left knee, left hip, and left shoulder disabilities, as well as left and right wrist disabilities. The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the service connection of right knee instability, symptomatic meniscal condition, and scars as of July 26, 2017.

The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error in the December 2024 VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee strain and unspecified trauma disorder. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including back condition, hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee condition, right knee condition, sleep disturbances, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The Veteran's claims are remanded for further development regarding an acquired psychiatric disorder.