Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder is not related to his service-connected knee disorders and therefore, denied the claim for service connection. The Board also found no evidence linking the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine to his service-connected knee disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability warrants a rating of 40 percent, effective September 21, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to his military service and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right hip condition and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition, which is secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability, has been remanded due to the need for additional development and an opinion regarding whether any current right shoulder disability is related to service or pre-existed service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is attributable to service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the left knee and right knee, but denied an increased rating for his lower back condition.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, with the conditions found to be directly related to his military service. His ankle and foot disabilities are also considered service-connected.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss due to noise exposure during active duty.

The Board denied all claims for increased ratings due to lack of evidence showing additional functional loss or impairment beyond what is already compensated by the current disability ratings.

The Board is remanding the case for a new VA examination to determine the etiology of all currently diagnosed left hip disabilities, including whether they are related to service-connected bilateral foot tendonitis.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to April 23, 2013 for the award of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine was granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a kidney disability remains pending and will be addressed in the remand portion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral osteoarthritis of the feet, as well as his requests for increased ratings and an earlier effective date. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of those already assigned.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion considering the holding in Johnson v. McDonald, 762 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 2014).

The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia patella is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.,Since July 23, 2007, the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis has been rated at 10 percent. The current rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on limited range of motion and painful motion.,The Veteran's left knee degenerative changes have also been rated as 10 percent disabling since July 23, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right and left ankles is related to his active-duty service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and right knee disabilities are at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability manifested by blurry vision, ischemic heart disease, osteoarthritis, prostate disability, or PTSD. The claims for these conditions are denied.

The Veteran's low back disability is found to be related to service, with reasonable doubt resolved in his favor. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's left knee disability, post-total knee replacement, is currently rated at 30 percent effective November 1, 2016. The Board finds that a higher rating of 60 percent is warranted from this date.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to service connection for alcohol abuse prior to a decision being made.