Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2009

The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorders, depression, and a bilateral leg disorder to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee and chronic grade I edema of the left lower leg, as there was no evidence that these conditions were incurred or aggravated in service.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for a low back disorder was reopened, and the claim is granted. The other issues are denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracic and lumbar spine conditions are being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of these service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's varicose veins of the right leg are rated at 40 percent, and his degenerative arthritis with spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and generalized arthritis, but granted service connection for post-traumatic sequelae of the left third proximal phalanx and left hand osteoarthritis as secondary to a service-connected disability.

The veteran did not meet the requirements for TDIU under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) until July 13, 2004, and as such, an earlier effective date is denied; however, the claim should be referred to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for service-connected left hip, lumbar spine, left ulna, and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy disabilities for further development.

The veteran's cervical spine disorder and bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome do not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied as the criteria were not met prior to December 15, 2000.

The veteran's service-connected tendinitis and degenerative arthritis of the right wrist is not shown to be more severe than currently evaluated, and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for osteoarthritis of the left knee is being remanded for additional evidence and an updated VA examination.

The veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his back disability is being remanded to schedule a new VA examination.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the left knee and history of meniscectomy of the left knee with instability were denied due to a lack of evidence supporting his appeal, as he failed to report for scheduled VA examination without good cause.

The veteran's PTSD was rated as 70 percent disabling, while the rating for DDD with osteoarthritis and mechanical low back pain remained at 10 percent.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and adjudication of the issues, including an earlier effective date for service connection and a secondary service connection claim.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, as there was no medical evidence or competent opinion linking a cardiovascular disease to any incident of service and no evidence that diabetes played a causative role in his death.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative changes of the right hip as secondary to the veteran's service-connected low back disability and residuals of a fracture of the right tibia and fibula, extending the benefit of the doubt to the veteran.

The veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis was rated at 10 percent, and a separate 10 percent rating for instability of the right knee was granted as of February 7, 2007. Service connection for left hip pain was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for his service-connected scar of the right index finger and that there was no basis to increase the 10 percent ratings for osteoarthritis in the knees.