Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2018

The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right and left knees effective May 26, 2011. An earlier effective date was not granted due to lack of evidence of dependency arising within one year of birth.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for a left knee disability, migraines, and right foot degenerative osteoarthritis. The claim for a left foot disability is denied. Service connection has also been granted for a lumbar spine disability but not for cervical degenerative joint disease.,The Veteran's right foot condition was found to be service-connected due to pre-existing conditions aggravated by active duty, and her migraines were found to have no direct link to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, as well as his claim seeking a TDIU rating due to ongoing development needs.

The Veteran's use of a back brace for his service-connected thoracolumbosacral degenerative arthritis is considered, and he is granted an annual clothing allowance for the year 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his skin disability claims. The Board will request additional VA examination and review of records to determine if the Veteran has current diagnoses of seborrheic keratosis and actinic keratosis, their etiology, and whether they are related to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and granted service connection for a left knee disorder due to an in-service injury, as the evidence is in equipoise regarding the etiology of the condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations, as well as obtaining outstanding VA records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to his service, including his service-connected back and left knee disabilities. As a result, the claim for service connection for right knee osteoarthritis is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's right foot posterior tibial tendonitis with osteoarthritis is granted an initial 20 percent rating, the maximum available under DC 5271.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on multiple service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for osteoporosis, hypertension, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and headaches due to the need for additional development. The Veteran is asked to provide necessary releases so that VA can obtain private medical records from a Wilmington, North Carolina VA clinic.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, was incurred during his active duty service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings has been remanded due to the need for further evidence and examination. The onychomycosis claim is not currently before the Board.

The Board denied service connection for back, left ankle, left foot, left hip, and right hip disabilities. The Veteran's current lower back conditions are not related to the alleged in-service forklift incident.,The Veteran's left ankle condition is also not related to the alleged in-service forklift incident.

The Board denied service connection for a left hip condition, finding that the Veteran's current hip condition is not related to his service or a service-connected disability. The case was also remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the appeals are still pending as they remain on remand due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no current disabilities related to the conditions claimed, except for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine osteoarthritis is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. Therefore, service connection for this condition is granted.