Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining verification of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA service dates during the Veteran's ARNG service and scheduling an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee and ankle disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation from September 18, 2012 through February 23, 2015. The case is remanded for extraschedular TDIU consideration outside this timeframe.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred in or aggravated by active duty military service, and thus granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is currently pending and requires additional development, including new VA examinations for his right shoulder and hip disabilities, as well as etiology opinions regarding a lumbar spine disability. The claims are being remanded to the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, left knee instability, osteoarthritis of the left knee, limited extension of the left knee, right knee instability, osteoarthritis of the right knee, or limited extension of the right knee prior to the specified dates. Microcytic hypochromic anemia was not found to meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability was not related to his military service and is not caused or aggravated by any of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, but his cervical spine disability and arthritis have not met the criteria for service connection.,Service connection was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, and his other service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU. The Board finds that he does not have sufficient combined ratings to qualify for a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including laxity and osteoarthritis with a torn ACL, has not met the criteria for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent. The issues regarding limitation of extension have also been denied.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are currently rated as 10 percent disabling under DCs 5260 and 5261, respectively. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either disability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a thoracolumbar spine disability is granted, with the condition having its onset in service. The claims of increased ratings for bilateral pes planus and cervical spine stenosis are remanded as additional development is needed. The claim for an increased rating for duodenal ulcer remains pending.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left ankle disability. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is not service-connected.,The Veteran's thoracic spine disability warrants a maximum 20% evaluation, as there is no evidence of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected left knee disability. The issues are whether she should receive increased ratings for postoperative left knee injury with instability and osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including his traumatic arthritis prior to June 18, 2014, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted for the period prior to June 18, 2014 due to lack of additional disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to service connection for left and middle chest pain during a hearing before the Board. The remaining issues are related to evaluations for lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), right knee sprain, and left knee sprain.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his cervical spine disability was denied. The current rating of 20% is maintained as the evidence does not show ankylosis or IVDS, and the Veteran's range of motion has been found to be within the criteria for the current 20% rating.

The Veteran seeks service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease of the right hip, both claimed as secondary to a right foot injury. The Board has determined that additional development is needed due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions regarding service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, consistent with his education and occupational experience.