Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case for a retrospective medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability prior to November 16, 2016. The Veteran testified that his symptoms had worsened since the last VA examination in June 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for a retrospective medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability prior to November 16, 2016. The Veteran testified that his symptoms had worsened since the last VA examination in June 2009.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the hands, knees, hips, and back is being remanded due to an error in how his previous claims were handled.

The Veteran's right knee condition has worsened since his last VA examination, and a new examination is needed to determine the current severity of his disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate findings in a previous VA examination, and thus requires a new examination to determine if the Veteran's current left foot disabilities are related to his service.

Right knee MCL thickening and left knee degenerative arthritis have been granted service connection.,Sleep apnea, right ankle soft tissue strain, scar residuals of the right foot, right hip strain, left hip strain, and myofascial pain syndrome of the lower back have not met the criteria for service connection.,The effective dates for service connection are being determined.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is granted at a 20 percent rating from August 12, 2014 to March 6, 2017. The right lower extremity radiculopathy remains at a 10 percent rating prior to March 7, 2017 and the lumbar spine disability is granted at a 40 percent rating from June 15, 2015.

The Veteran's dental condition is not service-connected for compensation purposes.,The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis with limitation of flexion does not warrant a higher rating than the current 10% disability rating.,The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis with limitation of extension does not warrant a higher rating than the current noncompensable disability rating.,The Veteran's left knee laxity does not warrant a higher rating than the current 10% disability rating.,The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis with limitation of flexion does not warrant a higher rating than the current 10% disability rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and issues of reduction in ratings for bilateral knee disabilities, as well as the claim for TDIU due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of thoracic spine is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects her disability.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the Board is remanding for further development regarding whether his degenerative arthritis contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 40 percent, but no higher. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a back disability and rating in excess of 20 percent for right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the current evaluations adequately reflect the severity of the Veteran’s conditions.

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and osteoarthritis of bilateral knees are granted as service connected.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete or inaccurate medical records and need for further examination. The Veteran's exposure to burning waste pits is also under consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis left knee, status-post medial meniscectomy is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for a more detailed VA examination to assess the severity of his condition, as the previous examination did not adequately address the impact of flare-ups on his functional ability.