Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a spine disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), or obstructive sleep apnea that is related to his active service.,VA examinations and medical opinions indicate no link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability did not manifest during service and is not related to her military service, thus denying her claim for service connection.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right ankle disorder. His left knee and left ankle disorders are not service-connected.,His patellar chondromalacia of both knees is not shown to be etiologically related to an injury or illness incurred during his active duty service, nor did osteoarthritis of the left ankle manifest within one year after discharge.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, diabetes mellitus, type II, and various orthopedic conditions. The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's left hip disability is rated at 30 percent, and his left thigh scar is rated at 10 percent. The Board denied the increased rating claims for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for adjustment disorder with anxiety, bilateral plantar fasciitis and flat feet, and lumbar spine osteoarthritis and L5 disk bulge. The Veteran's conditions are believed to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or instability, as there was no ankylosis of the spine or knees, and the Veteran had not experienced incapacitating episodes related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine has been rated as noncompensably disabling prior to December 22, 2009, and as 10 percent disabling on and after that date. The claim is granted.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 30 percent disability rating for left knee ligament disorders, effective July 1, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea are related to her military service, while her heart murmur, asthma, and CTS do not have a direct link. The reduction in rating for pes planus was upheld.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis with instability and limited extension, have been rated based on their functional impairment. The RO has granted increased ratings for the left knee disability since August 8, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis, hypertension, COPD, and diabetes mellitus as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee condition, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, was not incurred in service and is not related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. As a result, the claim for service connection for a left knee disability was denied.

The Veteran's low back disorder is not service-connected, and his right knee disability does not warrant a higher rating or TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability, including degenerative arthritis and small posttraumatic ossification adjacent to the left medial malleolus, is not related to service. The condition was not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's left knee condition, characterized by dislocated semilunar cartilage and degenerative osteoarthritis, was rated at 20 percent since March 9, 2004.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right lower extremity disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, bladder disorder, and erectile dysfunction are granted as secondary to his service-connected herniated disc. The initial rating for the herniated disc is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee condition does not warrant a rating greater than 10 percent, but has granted a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage.

The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability is manifested by forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, without ankylosis. The Board finds that the criteria for a 40 percent rating have been met.