Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of any current disabilities, including those related to a broken sternum, injury to the coccyx, injury to the cervical spine, and thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking his current condition to an in-service injury. The claim for reopening was granted, but the claim for service connection itself was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, and thoracolumbar spondylosis was denied as the evidence did not raise a question about secondary service connection.

The Veteran's right and left knee conditions have been rated as 10 percent disabling for the entire period on appeal due to arthritis with noncompensable limitation of motion. The preponderance of evidence does not support an increased rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right wrist, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his in-service right wrist fracture.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied service connection for chronic bilateral osteoarthritis of the knee, finding that the new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that, with the benefit of the doubt resolved in your favor, you are entitled to service connection for a left knee disability as it is proximately due to or the result of your service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and remanded the issue of service connection for COPD.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and headache disorder are all found to be related to his service. The claims for glaucoma, heart disability, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes mellitus have been denied.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disabilities have been granted increased ratings of 10 percent each, effective December 21, 2015.,Separate ratings of 20 percent for left and right foot corns with recurrent calluses were also granted, effective the same date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left acromioclavicular osteoarthritis is related to his service, specifically an injury he sustained during active duty for training in 1967. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and status post fusion surgery of the lumbar spine had its onset in service. The Board found that the condition is related to service and granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy and service connection for lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and TDIU was dismissed. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in disability rating prior to May 31, 2016 or after.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee condition is not service-connected as it did not begin during service and is not related to an in-service injury or disease. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that his pre-existing left knee condition was aggravated by military service.

The Board denied service connection for left hip, left shoulder, low back, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service records did not show any symptoms or diagnoses related to the claimed conditions during or immediately after service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical neck condition, low back condition, and degenerative arthritis due to outstanding records not being associated with his electronic file.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on functional loss or pain.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis is being remanded due to the need for a new examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disability was denied in June 2012, and no new and material evidence has been received since then. The claims for increased ratings of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the lower extremities (right and left), and PTSD have all been granted. A TDIU is also granted.