Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for service connection for the residuals of his right hand injury is being remanded due to inadequate medical examination and need for clarification.

The veteran's claims for service connection and higher evaluations were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of osteoarthritis in multiple joints, including cervical spine, right knee, bilateral feet, hips, ankles, elbows, or hands.

The veteran is seeking service connection for his bilateral knee disability, which he claims is related to his service-connected shell fragment wounds. The Board has determined that a new examination and opinion are needed to address the potential secondary relationship between his service-connected condition and his current knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hip and knee disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of such conditions within one year post-service or a direct link between service and current diagnoses. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has denied service connection for generalized arthritis and seizure disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a link to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing right ankle fracture did not worsen during service, and his current arthritis is not related to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's generalized osteoarthritis was not incurred in service and denied his claim.

The veteran's claims for increased initial ratings for her service-connected right knee and shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current severity.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an extraschedular evaluation for his service-connected right knee disability from July 9, 2002, to August 25, 2005.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service connection and increased evaluations, finding that no evidence supported an earlier effective date than November 18, 2005 for the left knee disability or March 2, 1995 for the right knee disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral shoulder disability, right knee disability, right elbow disability, a disability of the right hand and fingers, lupus erythematosus, generalized degenerative arthritis, hypertension, Sjogren's disease, stomach disability, prostate disability, residuals of a fractured right forefinger, and residuals of an injury to the veteran's left side. The Board found that the evidence received since the February 2000 decisions is not new and material.

The veteran's osteoarthritis and bursitis of the left great toe are currently rated at 30 percent, but do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they do not equate to actual loss of use of the foot.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA orthopedic examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for osteoarthritis of the left knee and degenerative joint disease of the left elbow have been denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, cervical spine disability with arthritis, and bilateral shoulder disability. The claims for increased ratings for low back pain, right inguinal hernia repair, hemorrhoids, and chronic prostatitis have also been denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for hypothyroidism and service connection for patello-femoral syndrome, right knee; sinusitis; sore joints (undiagnosed illness); cervical spine degenerative arthritis (undiagnosed illness); and edema (claimed as fluid retention in legs).

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his medical records and a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected inflammatory polyarthritis.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and an increased rating for his low back disability were both denied by the Board. The veteran was not shown to have had hypertension during service or within a presumptive period, nor did he meet the criteria for a higher rating under the current VA rating criteria.

The veteran has withdrawn her appeals for the increased ratings claims related to favorable ankylosis of the lumbar spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee with osteoarthritis, patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee, and residual scars of the lumbar spine.