Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied in the April 2017, December 2017, and April 2021 rating decisions. The Board found that the Veteran did not timely file his appeal requests.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations and medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral ankle, hip, shoulder, and knee disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder and heat sensitivity.

The Board denied service connection for broken jaw/TMJ, motion sickness, right knee pain, right shin pain, left ankle pain, bilateral pes planus, and left buttock pain as there is no evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right knee arthritis, and left knee arthritis. The claims for PTSD and radiculopathy are remanded.

The Board has determined that the November 2019 VA examination is inadequate for assessing the severity level of the Veteran's service-connected left knee condition. The Veteran needs to be scheduled for a new examination with an appropriate VA examiner to determine the current level of severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, left knee, and cervical spine with spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis were dismissed due to a procedural defect in the filing of the VA Form 10182 Notice of Disagreement.

The appeal regarding earlier effective dates for IBS and IVDS is dismissed.,The reduction in the rating for painful right toes scars is granted, restoring a 10 percent rating from May 3, 2023.,Increased ratings to 20 percent for lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as of October 21, 2024.,Service connection and increased ratings for left hip conditions, right hip conditions, left knee condition, ED, and depressive disorder are granted.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance is remanded due to the need for an examination that properly assesses his disability picture in relation to his theory of entitlement, specifically focusing on service-connected disabilities alone.

Service connection for a left knee disability is dismissed.,Service connection for headaches is granted. Service connection for back, dental, neck, and psychiatric disabilities (PTSD and anxiety) are denied.,Entitlement to service connection for right knee disability remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine, cervical spine, left hip pain, and right knee pain disabilities as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities are granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle strain, right knee strain, OSA, acquired psychiatric disability (depressive disorder and anxiety disorder), and CAD have all been granted service connection.,Service connection has been established for these conditions based on their direct relationship to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of his left knee strain and scars, finding that the earliest possible effective date was May 29, 2020, based on when he submitted a request to reopen his previously denied claims.

The Board is unable to make a decision on the service connection claims without first determining whether the Appellant's misconduct was due to his psychiatric symptoms and obtaining a medical opinion regarding his mental status at the time of his misconduct.

The Veteran's right foot and left foot disabilities are granted, but his right knee disability is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and neck conditions are not related to her active duty service, but has remanded for further examination regarding her bilateral shoulder conditions, knee conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, and GERD.

The Board has remanded three issues of service connection for a low back disorder, right knee disorder, and sleep apnea due to the lack of medical opinions considering the Veteran's lay statements about in-service injuries and toxic exposures.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right eye, left eye, left knee, and back disabilities due to conflicting statements from the Veteran and inconsistencies in his medical records.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected. The left knee strain and the painful and compensable Crohn's disease resection scars are denied.