Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2011

The Board has restored the Veteran's service connection for limited motion of the cervical spine with involvement of the paritrapezial musculature, finding that the initial grant was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, and found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the May 1973 rating decision.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is at least 80%, meeting the criteria for a TDIU. The evidence shows that his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative arthritis of the hands and feet, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's TDIU claim will be re-adjudicated in accordance with the Court Order and Joint Motion.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of marked limitation of motion in the left ankle, and thus no higher evaluation was warranted.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the RO found that his left knee conditions did not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including issuance of proper notice and a VA opinion regarding whether service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his left hip replacement was caused or aggravated by a service-connected right knee injury.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for left knee instability and osteoarthritis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not demonstrate severe recurrent subluxation or lateral instability of the left knee prior to April 17, 2010, nor did it show flexion limited to 30 degrees or extension limited to 15 degrees at any time from April 17, 2010. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as there was no evidence showing he is precluded from substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertensive vascular disease and temporal-mandibular osteoarthritis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical records and needs further examination to determine if a left knee disorder is caused or aggravated by service-connected right knee joint issues.

The Veteran's service-connected left arm condition is not productive of limitation of motion to midway between the side and shoulder level or at the shoulder level, even taking into account repetitive motion testing and his complaints of pain.,The Veteran's service-connected left knee condition is not productive of flexion limited to 45 degrees or less nor extension limited to 10 degrees or more, even taking into account repetitive motion testing and his complaints of pain. The Veteran's left knee instability is only slight.,The Veteran's service-connected right knee condition does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation as it is productive of no more than slight instability.,The Veteran's service-connected CAD is not productive of a workload of greater than 5 METs but not greater than 7 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope, or evidence of cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation on electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, or X-ray.,The Veteran's service-connected left carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome with ulnar neuropathy is productive of no more than moderate incomplete paralysis of the ulnar nerve.,The Veteran's service-connected right carpal tunnel syndrome does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation as it is only mild incomplete paralysis of the median nerve.,The Veteran's service-connected arthritis of the right hand does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation as there are no more than noncompensable limitations in range of motion of the right wrist and each finger on the right hand, with no evidence of incapacitating exacerbations.,The Veteran's service-connected GERD is not productive of diastolic pressure predominantly less than 100 or systolic pressure predominantly less than 160.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation and service connection are being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability, including osteoarthritis of the left AC joint and a probable rotator cuff tear, is related to his service as a paratrooper. As such, the claim for service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee with calcification of the patellar ligament and low back strain with spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis at L5-S1 were denied as these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral foot disabilities were aggravated by active military service, resulting in current symptoms and disability.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease was rated at 20 percent prior to November 14, 2003. From that date forward, the criteria for a higher evaluation were not met. The ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities did not meet the criteria for an initial rating greater than 10 percent.

The VA has maintained a 10% rating for the Veteran's thoracic strain and osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine since September 2006, considering his symptoms such as constant pain and limited range of motion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing right hip disability was aggravated in service, leading to a need for hip replacement. Therefore, the claim is granted.