Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's left and right knee osteoarthritis have been rated based on limitation of motion, with a 10 percent rating for each knee due to flexion limited to at most 45 degrees and extension limited to at most 10 degrees. The Veteran also has recurrent lateral instability in both knees, warranting a separate 20 percent rating for each knee under Diagnostic Code 5257.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and found new and material evidence to support this claim. However, it denied service connection on a direct basis.,Service connection was also denied for degenerative arthritis of both knees and heart condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral foot disability, neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and a psychiatric disability. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected gunshot wounds.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, claimed as progressive osteoarthritis to the subtalar joint, is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding whether his current condition was aggravated by training in combat boots during service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disabilities, diagnosed as acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy, which are found to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not due to any incident of his active duty service and therefore, denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU until March 19, 2009, and they did not cause him to be unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment prior thereto.

The Veteran is unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, which are rated as a combined rating of at least 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral knee gouty osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's right knee symptoms, including pain (even in the absence of motion), weakness, stiffness, fatigue, buckling, swelling, and tenderness are already considered by his current ratings. Therefore, a separate rating under DC 5259 is not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for higher evaluations of his right shoulder disability and left shoulder disabilities, as well as service connection for weakness in both arms and cramping of hands, were all denied. The Veteran is currently assigned a 30 percent evaluation for his left shoulder disability from July 16, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is being remanded due to inadequate examination findings and need for further development.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 20 percent from October 1, 2007 to May 29, 2009. The Board found that the evidence did not show flexion limited to 15 degrees, which would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee degenerative arthritis and meniscal tear are related to his service-connected right foot strain and right knee disability, granting service connection for these conditions as secondary.

The Veteran's right knee disability was initially rated at 20 percent prior to February 10, 2009. The rating has been granted for subluxation and limitation of extension but denied for arthritis.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for anxiety disorder was granted, with a 30 percent disability rating effective July 31, 2012. The Board also granted TDIU based on the service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, is related to his service-connected right knee disability and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient rationale in the previous opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis.

The Board has remanded the issues of degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with disc protrusion L3-4 and degenerative disc and osteoarthritis of the cervical spine with herniated nucleus pulposus for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis and AC osteoarthritis, as well as left shoulder osteoarthritis of the AC joint, were denied effective dates prior to August 24, 2001 and February 6, 2012 respectively.,Both conditions were determined to be service-connected based on evidence received after the final denial in 1985.