Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA orthopedic examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral knee disabilities and whether he is unable to secure or maintain gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not caused him to become blind or so nearly blind as to require regular aid and attendance of another person.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine arthritis, right hip degenerative joint disease, and right knee conditions as they are not related to the service-connected right calf laceration.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee and hip conditions were denied. The RO assigned various disability evaluations based on the severity of his disabilities, but did not grant any higher ratings than those already in effect.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, status post laminectomy at L4-5 due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for left knee osteoarthritis and left foot plantar fasciitis with heel spur have been granted, but the PTSD issue remains unresolved.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for residuals of a fracture of the left medial malleolus with osteoporosis was denied. The primary issue was whether his ankle disability warranted a higher rating.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is found to be related to his in-service injury, and service connection for this condition is granted. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20%.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain with early degenerative osteoarthritis and left leg sciatic nerve involvement are currently rated at the minimum levels. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO due to new evidence and for a VA examination.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his right wrist disability was denied as the evidence did not show that his condition warranted a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic lumbar strain and a separate evaluation for arthritis of the right knee were granted. However, his claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for postoperative residuals of a right knee meniscectomy was denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for right and left knee osteoarthritis. The Board finds that the exact dates of any Active Duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA periods need to be verified and correlated with the documented diagnoses of patellofemoral syndrome and osteoarthritis of the knees in the medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling new VA examinations and obtaining his VA medical records from November 2009 to the present.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee instability and degenerative arthritis are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the claims for increased ratings have been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or for specially adapted housing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left midfoot degenerative arthritis is secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.