Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right knee and left knee are granted as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and hip disability are also granted as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for entitlement to service connection for obesity, claimed as secondary to a service-connected back disability due to additional development being needed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right ankle disability was found to be moderate prior to March 24, 2017, but marked thereafter. The left ankle disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. There is no evidence of gastrointestinal disorder.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing all issues on appeal except for entitlement to an increased rating of his low back disability. The claim for TDIU was raised in conjunction with this issue.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request in a letter dated April 2017.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and consideration of his claims due to the potential change in severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are sufficient to bring his combined rating to 90 percent, with at least one disability rated 40 percent or higher; these service-connected disabilities preclude the Veteran from maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new examination of his right knee disabilities and consideration of the TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee and hip disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his in-service fall and subsequent development of these conditions. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim was also denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence for an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected left shoulder osteoarthritis and bronchial asthma, as well as a determination on whether his forearm scars are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable as of February 6, 2009, based on the combined rating and his inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum percentage requirements for award of a TDIU, and his disabilities are not shown to prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, are not service-connected. The VA examiner concluded that the in-service injuries had no relevance to the current diagnosis of osteoarthritis due to its delayed onset.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling, and his radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities are each rated at 20 percent prior to February 8, 2017, and 40 percent thereafter.,The Veteran does not meet the schedular criteria for an increased evaluation for his lumbar spine disability or radiculopathy. The evidence shows no more than subjective complaints of pain without objective findings of limitation in motion or ankylosis.

The Veteran is granted specially adapted housing due to multiple service-connected disabilities, including the loss or use of the left lower extremity and residuals of organic disease/injury affecting balance and propulsion. The issue of a special home adaptation grant is dismissed as moot.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee osteoarthritis is related to an injury sustained during active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right hip disorder was not incurred in active military service and does not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection. The preponderance of evidence is against finding a link between the current right hip disorders and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis, are not related to his active military service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left eye, left knee, and left foot disabilities. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back pain and residuals of hernia. The claim for an increased rating for restrictive airway disease is remanded.,Service connection was not granted for a psychiatric disability as there was no justiciable case or controversy.