Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of participation in extracurricular activities during service and additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the veteran's disabilities.

The VA denied an increased rating for avascular necrosis of the left hip, as the evidence did not show that the disability warranted a higher evaluation.

The veteran's left knee disability, which was rated as 100 percent disabling effective July 28, 2004, has been increased to a 60 percent rating effective September 1, 2005.,The right knee disability remains at a 10 percent rating.

The veteran's service-connected right knee disorder is associated with a lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder, both of which are secondary to the right knee. The veteran does not have a direct service connection for his cervical spine disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back and right knee conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty military service, nor may arthritis be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right and left hips were denied. The right hip was rated at 20 percent, while the left hip was also rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Hepatitis C and an increased evaluation for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, finding no evidence of a direct relationship to service. The claim for increased evaluations for post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knees was not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disease of the right shoulder and hands, including as secondary to arthralgia-myalgia syndrome, probable rheumatoid arthritis, and arthritis of left shoulder. The evidence did not show that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded for further adjudication due to inadequate notice and potential VA negligence in providing medical treatment.

The veteran seeks service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, which he claims was caused by an injury sustained during military service. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence regarding the nature and etiology of his back disability.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the left shoulder joint in October 1976, finding it not incurred or aggravated by service. The moving party's motion to revise this decision due to clear and unmistakable error was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back syndrome, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The veteran's left knee disability is manifested by arthritis, painful motion, and no more than moderate instability. A separate rating of 10 percent based on arthritis with painful motion is granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran is seeking service connection for coronary artery disease and osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected disability. The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to make a determination on these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The claim for loss of vision of the left eye, claimed as secondary to back disability, is dismissed due to lack of an adequate substantive appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current osteoarthritis of the multiple joints was not incurred in or related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran is seeking a specific evaluation for his lumbosacral strain with osteoarthritis, which was granted in June 1997. The case has been remanded due to procedural issues.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were granted, with the hypertension claim being established and the arthritis claim receiving a 10 percent rating.

The veteran's claim for TDIU benefits was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.