Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is evaluated at 30 percent, the maximum schedular evaluation based on limitation of motion. His lumbar spine disability has been rated as 20 percent disabling throughout the appeal period. The Board denied all issues related to service connection and evaluations.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis. The Veteran's right and left ear hearing loss are not considered to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by a limitation of flexion to 120 degrees and extension to 0 degrees with tears to the medial meniscus and lateral meniscus, has been rated at 10 percent based on limitation of motion. The claim for an increased rating is granted.

The Veteran's diagnosed bilateral shoulder, right knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities have not been shown to be related to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral patellofemoral syndrome with osteoarthritis, specifically whether it is related to or aggravated by his service-connected bony fragment of the right tibia.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine the combined effect of his service-connected right knee disabilities on his employability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee arthritis is as likely as not due to an injury sustained during his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records review.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee was manifested by subjective symptoms and objective evidence, but did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating prior to April 26, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for consideration of additional evidence and a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board found no evidence to support a direct service connection for the Veteran's low back disability and bilateral foot disorders, concluding that they are not related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted the appeal with regard to whether the apportionment of the initial rating for the service-connected lumbar spine disability due to post-service injury is proper. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to October 23, 2006 remains before the Board.

The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is related to in-service injuries or use, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU and her service-connected disabilities preclude her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of October 18, 2001.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for alopecia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a scar to the scalp, and degenerative arthritis of the right hip have been denied. The current noncompensable ratings assigned under the applicable diagnostic codes are not supported by the evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine osteoarthritis has been rated at 10 percent since the date of her claim. The VA examiner found that her range of motion was limited, with forward flexion and combined cervical range of motion not exceeding 40 and 280 degrees respectively, without evidence of muscle spasms or abnormal spinal contour.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right and left knee osteoarthritis are being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, conduct a new examination, and readjudicate the claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee osteoarthritis did not have its onset during service and was not shown to be related to any injury or event of service origin. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee strain with degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this evaluation does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle osteochondral lesion of the talar dome, right great toe osteoarthritis, and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.