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Board of Veterans' Appeals · AMA series

Entitlement to service connection for right knee strain residuals, meniscal tear residuals, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and instability is granted.

July 30, 2026Citation Nr. A26069942Docket 210407-151191va.gov source

  • Right knee strain residuals, meniscal tear residuals, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and instability (service connection)Granted
  • Left knee patellar tendinitis, meniscal tear residuals, and arthritis (service connection)Granted
  • Recurrent lumbar spine disability (service connection)Remanded
  • Recurrent right leg disability to include shin splints (service connection)Remanded
  • Recurrent left leg disability to include shin splints (service connection)Remanded
DecisionAnalysis

Board reasoning

The Board found the right knee and left knee conditions related to the service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis and granted service connection for those knee conditions. It noted the record shows ongoing bilateral knee pain and an opinion from a VA provider relating gait changes from plantar fasciitis to knee issues, and it resolved reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. For the lumbar spine and leg shin-splint issues, the Board remanded to obtain further development, including a VA lumbar spine examination to determine onset, relation to service, and any aggravation from service-connected disabilities, and to readjudicate the shin-splint claims after the knee decisions are resolved.

Issues

  • Right knee strain residuals, meniscal tear residuals, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and instability (service connection)Granted
  • Left knee patellar tendinitis, meniscal tear residuals, and arthritis (service connection)Granted
  • Recurrent lumbar spine disability (service connection)Remanded
  • Recurrent right leg disability to include shin splints (service connection)Remanded
  • Recurrent left leg disability to include shin splints (service connection)Remanded

Authorities

  • Allen v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 439Proximate/secondary service connection guidance cited in reasoning
  • McLendon v. Nicholson, 20 Vet. App. 79Duty to provide a contemporaneous examination cited for remand
  • Green v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 121Need for contemporaneous examination cited for remand

Extracted with gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07. Citations are kept only when they appear in the decision text.