Knee decisions — 2026

The Veteran's appeals to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, shin splints of the right and left lower extremities, multiple sclerosis (MS), thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, left elbow disorder, left knee disorder, migraine headaches, and right knee disorder are dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD and MDD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% rating.,VA needs to provide an updated VA examination for the Veteran's herpes simplex virus II with recurrent genital ulcers due to inadequate previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee conditions and sleep apnea due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The claims will be reconsidered with new examinations and medical opinions.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a right knee condition, resulting in the dismissal of this claim.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including limitation of flexion and instability, is rated at 10 percent. The rating for extension was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder strain, left knee strain, hemorrhoids, and right shoulder paralabral cysts as these conditions are not shown to have begun during active service or be related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for any of the claimed conditions, and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain with degenerative changes, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in loss of use of both feet, which qualifies her for an allowance for an automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran is found not competent to handle the disbursement of VA funds, and his appeal is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for a right knee condition are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ must attempt to verify the claimed stressor events and provide a VA examination.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hip conditions, right knee condition, and/or right ankle condition are related to service. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for left knee limitation of flexion and left knee instability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, depression, migraine headaches, hypertension, abnormal heartbeat, bilateral eye condition (sensitivity to light), erectile dysfunction, skin disorder, upper spine condition, lower back condition, skeletal arthritis of entire joint system, left hip condition, right hip condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left foot condition, and right foot condition have all been denied.,The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for any of these conditions due to a lack of current disability or no evidence linking the claimed conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) prior to August 8, 2024, and dependency benefits from June 1, 2025, to August 8, 2025, for the school-aged child are both denied.

The Veteran is granted SMC at the rate of 50% for his service-connected conditions from April 20, 2020 to June 7, 2021.