Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities do not cause her orthopedic appliances to wear or tear her clothing, thus she does not meet the criteria for an annual clothing allowance.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee disorder did not have an onset during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to a known etiology. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition is related to service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were denied. The Board notes that the Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding entitlement to an effective date earlier than February 12, 2009, for the grant of service connection for bursitis of the right elbow and osteomyelitis, to include on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are so severe as to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining employment, physical or sedentary, which could be considered substantially gainful versus just marginal in comparison when realizing his level of education, prior work experience and training.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current back disability, right index finger disability, and stomach ulcer are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including providing clarifications to a previous VA medical examination report and possibly scheduling another VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated based on all evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling the Veteran for an examination.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further review by the Director of Compensation Service due to his service-connected knee disabilities preventing him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a VA examination due to the inadequacy of the March 2013 VA examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and articular chondrocalcinosis of the knees are not related to his service, including his parachute jumps. The evidence does not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and his in-service injuries.

The Veteran's joint aches, osteoarthritis of the cervical and lumbar spine, degenerative changes of the right shoulder, and polyarthralgias were not incurred or aggravated in service. The Board found insufficient clinical, laboratory, or radiographic evidence to support these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, to include degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to incomplete development and need for an addendum opinion regarding his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a higher rating or TDIU, as his combined disability rating is below the threshold required and he has been able to maintain employment despite his physical disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle and foot conditions did not have their onset in service or within one year of discharge, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 28, 2011. The Board granted TDIU benefits based on the evidence showing that his service-connected conditions rendered him unable to work.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new examination to assess the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's end-stage osteoarthritis of the right shoulder, which resulted from VA treatment for a right shoulder hemiarthroplasty with acromioplasty on August 24, 2007, is considered additional disability and meets the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is not less than 70%, meeting the schedular criteria for a TDIU. However, the evidence does not demonstrate that he is or has been precluded from all forms of employment due solely to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran does not have any additional disabilities as a result of the March 2006 VA medical treatment, and there is no evidence that such treatment was caused by carelessness, negligence, or lack of proper skill on the part of VA.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis and status post ligament repair of the left shoulder, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability.