Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for left knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis is remanded due to the inadequacy of the December 2020 VA examination, which did not include estimated range of motion measurements considering functional loss.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck, back, shoulder, hip, and knee disabilities, finding that these conditions are related to his active military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder, left knee, and bilateral pes planus disorders are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, and right knee condition. The appellant's claims are denied as there is no evidence showing a current disability or link to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that his in-service injury resolved and there were no current symptoms after service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of migraine headaches, cervical strain, TMJ, sinusitis, bilateral ingrown toenails, and a bilateral ankle condition. Service connection was granted for right knee pain with an initial compensable rating assigned for left leg shin splints and right leg shin splints.

The Veteran's service connection claims for COPD, sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss are granted. The remaining conditions (headaches, left ankle disorder, left knee disorder, left hip disorder, back disorder, cervical spine disorder, tremors of the right upper extremity, tremors of the left upper extremity, anxiety disorder, and depression) were denied as not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, left knee strain, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, and skin disability (manifesting as chronic arm rashes resulting in impairment in earning capacity) on a direct basis.,Reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran for all five conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and active or reserve service.

The Veteran's sinusitis, sleep apnea, left knee disability, and brachial plexus impingement of the right upper extremity are all granted as service-connected.,Secondary service connection is also granted for the Veteran's sleep apnea (related to his service-connected sinusitis) and brachial plexus impingement of the right upper extremity (related to his service-connected right shoulder disability).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, STD residuals, a left knee disability, and a respiratory disability have been dismissed. The Board found no error in the determination of these decisions.

The Veteran's bilateral hip and ankle conditions are secondary to his service-connected right knee patellofemoral syndrome, DJD with torn ACL and medial meniscus, and instability. The Board is remanding the claims due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability and left knee, torn meniscus to include left leg sprain as these conditions are found to have been incurred in the line of duty during active military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing service medical and personnel records, particularly those related to periods of Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) and Inactive Duty for Training (INACDUTRA).

Service connection for tinnitus has been granted. Service connection for right knee condition is remanded due to a lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's preexisting left knee disability was permanently aggravated by his service and by his service-connected right knee, leading to the grant of service connection for a left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address the severity and functional impact of his knee and ankle disabilities.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is dismissed as the claim has already been granted.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) was denied because it is not secondary to service-connected lower back problems and is not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,PFB was denied as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis at any time during the pendency of the claim.,The appeal for bilateral knee osteoarthritis and osteophytes is remanded, meaning further action by the AOJ is required.

The Board has decided to remand several matters related to the Veteran's right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The cases are being returned for VA examinations to determine the severity of the disabilities.

The Veteran's left and right knee conditions have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent each, effective from September 3, 2020. The ratings are for the instability of both knees.