Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2002

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and bilateral knee disability as secondary to service-connected ankle disabilities. The veteran's sinusitis is rated at 30 percent, effective from August 1999.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical and thoracic spine conditions, as well as his bilateral shoulder disorders, were granted with a 10 percent rating assigned for each condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disabilities, as well as his claim for TDIU.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right hip and right knee disabilities were denied. The RO found that the current evaluations did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for the right hip disability or in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability.

The Board has granted an increased rating to 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a right hip fracture, finding that his disability is no more than moderate in degree.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not proximately due to his service-connected postoperative residuals of osteochondroma of the right knee. The claim for an increased disability evaluation for the service-connected right knee disability was also denied.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for entitlement to Total Disability Rating Due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU). The issues of evaluation in excess of 10 percent for service-connected right knee injury and service connection for generalized degenerative arthritis claimed as secondary to service-connected residuals of a right knee injury will be the subject of a later decision.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right hip and leg disorders as secondary to his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine were denied. His claim for an increased rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was granted with a 20% disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back, left ankle, and right elbow disorders.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, and his service-connected osteoarthritis of the right wrist is also rated at its maximum allowable under VA regulations. The veteran's current symptoms are attributed to non-service connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a right foot injury and the claim to reopen service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The decision is mixed as it granted reopening but denied service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine does not warrant a rating higher than the currently assigned 20 percent, as there is no evidence of severe limitation of motion.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for low back pain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss disability and residuals of an injury to the right biceps muscle (major). The appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis, secondary to the veteran's service-connected thyroidectomy with hypothyroidism associated with residuals from carcinoma of the thyroid.

The veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10 percent, tension headaches are rated at 10 percent, tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation available, and bilateral hearing loss does not meet criteria for a compensable rating. Service connection was established for obstructive sleep apnea, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and multiple sclerosis (MS). The veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following any form of substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the veteran's postoperative residuals of a right knee sprain with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency and meniscal tears. A separate 10 percent rating is assigned for degenerative arthritis. The temporary total rating based on convalescence beyond September 30, 1993, has also been granted.

The Board denied the appellant's request for apportionment of her husband's nonservice-connected pension benefits, finding that she did not meet the criteria for dependency and that such apportionment would cause undue hardship to her estranged husband.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for the service-connected post-operative residuals of decompression of the right shoulder and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, effective as of May 1997. The claim for a compensable rating for the service-connected residuals of a sprain of the right wrist remains denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his left knee disability, postoperative degenerative arthritis, currently rated at 10 percent.