Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine has not resulted in a loss of forward flexion of 60 degrees or less, a combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine less than 120 degrees, lumbar radiculopathy, or muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour such as scoliosis, reversed lordosis, or abnormal kyphosis. The Veteran's left knee is shown to have arthritis causing a noncompensable decrease in range of motion due to pain; and while he complains of giving away of the knee, the weight of the evidence is against the finding that has lateral instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back and knee disabilities are not related to his military service, nor can they be attributed to a service-connected disability. The evidence does not support finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination and the obtaining of additional medical records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a left knee disability, finding that new evidence received since the last final denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Veteran's current diagnoses are supported by medical records showing elevated blood glucose levels during service, which could indicate undiagnosed diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the left knee status post meniscectomy and residual stress fracture of the left medial tibia with slight instability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant higher schedular ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability is causally connected to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for his chronic residuals of the left shoulder is denied. The current 20 percent rating adequately captures the Veteran's reported symptoms, including pain and limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate examination of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right shoulder are related to her active military service.,Reasoning: The March 2015 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right shoulder were at least as likely as not related to her military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right side lower extremity radiculopathy symptoms approximate no more than moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, and thus an initial rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted. The issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD with bipolar disorder was remanded due to inadequate rationale provided by the November 2015 VA opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected lumbar spine disability was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations and missing records.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right knee and right shoulder osteoarthritis were denied as the evidence did not show that her conditions warranted a rating higher than the current assigned by VA.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his right shoulder disability and determine if there are any functional loss due to pain or other symptoms.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by subluxation and limited range of motion, does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating than currently assigned.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request from the Veteran for a travel board hearing. The appeal is not about service connection at this stage.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions including multiple body traumas, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, emphysema, chronic pansinusitis, low back disorder, cardio-pulmonary disorder, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and osteoarthritis of the knees, right forearm, and right hand. The appeal was decided on the merits without any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, a right foot disability, and an effective date prior to March 17, 2003 for PTSD. The claim for higher initial rating for PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis with degenerative changes and lumbar spine hypertrophic osteoarthritis were denied. The VA determined that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his level of education and work history.