Knee decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lower back injury, upper back injury, and aggravated left knee injury due to errors in duty to assist. The AOJ is required to verify any periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INADUTRA), obtain service treatment records, and schedule VA medical examinations.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to active-duty service and granted. The Veteran does not have a left knee disability, right knee disability, or arthritis. Service connection for anxiety and depression are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for retroactive compensation from December 1, 2008, to November 14, 2022, as VA properly calculated his combined disability evaluations and there is no unpaid compensation due.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee instability have been granted initial ratings of 30% each, reflecting moderate recurrent subluxation or persistent instability requiring a prescription for crutches, walker, and bilateral knee braces.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease, finding that it resulted from the Veteran's in-service right knee strain.

The Veteran's right knee pain status post ACL surgery is granted as service connected.,The appeals for neck and left knee pain have been dismissed due to the Veteran's oral withdrawal of these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee tendinitis due to inadequate VA medical opinion.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding service connection for an unspecified knee disability. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial disability rating for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left knee is being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports. The Board finds that additional evidence and a new medical opinion are needed to properly assess the severity of the Veteran's condition.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an increased rating for her left knee disability was dismissed. A temporary total disability rating for the service-connected left knee disability following surgery is granted, subject to laws and regulations governing payment of monetary awards. The Veteran's sinusitis with headaches are rated at 30 percent. Her initial compensable rating for left knee scars is denied.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent for limitation of motion and a separate 20 percent rating for instability. The Board has remanded the claims due to additional issues needing clarification.

The Veteran's right knee condition is rated at 20 percent disabling, effective August 31, 2022.,The Veteran's scars are currently rated at 20 percent disabling, also effective August 31, 2022.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee disabilities, right knee instability, and sleep apnea due to service-connected left knee disabilities. The Veteran's left knee disabilities include arthritis and instability, while his right knee disability is claimed as secondary to these conditions. His sleep apnea claim involves obesity as an intermediate factor between his service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and lumbosacral spine disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for tinnitus, left hip disability, right hip disability, low back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal during a June 2024 Board hearing.,The Veteran's claim for readjudication of service connection for right hand strain has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, and therefore, the claim for service connection for left total knee replacement with residuals is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

Entitlement to an earlier effective date for a 20% rating for right knee instability is denied.,Entitlement to an earlier effective date for SMC based on aid and attendance is denied.,Entitlement to a higher level of SMC based on aid and attendance is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee conditions, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain. The AOJ is instructed to schedule a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's left and right knee conditions have been granted initial ratings of 30 percent each, effective from the date of the March 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the decision was made, so the case is dismissed.