Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is related to service and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his left knee disability, as well as to reconcile conflicting evidence. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and radiculopathy of the upper extremities have not met the criteria for higher ratings, with some issues remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current left knee medial meniscus tear and right knee degenerative arthritis are not related to his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in 1971-1972, and thus service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right shoulder DJD and lumbar spine disorder due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for determining the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability, specifically regarding range of motion testing and consideration of flare-ups.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a 40 percent rating for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred in service, and his claim for increased rating for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine is granted with an effective date of September 17, 2005.

The Veteran's initial rating requests for higher than 10 percent ratings for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, instability of the right knee, and instability of the left knee have been denied. The current disability ratings are 10% each.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the appeal for an increased evaluation has been denied.,PTSD was initially granted with a 70% rating from June 26, 2007 to April 11, 2011. The Veteran appealed for a higher initial evaluation and earlier effective date. The claim is currently pending.

The Veteran's knee and back conditions are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds no evidence to warrant an increased rating. The appeal for service connection of sleep apnea is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis status post right knee replacement is denied as there was no in-service injury, disease or event related to the right knee. The symptoms of arthritis were not chronic in service and did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's osteoarthritis and its relationship to his service-connected asbestosis.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches and granted his claims for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and right lower extremity radiculopathy. However, the effective dates for these grants are denied as they are without legal merit. The remaining issues of increased ratings for lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, and thus grants service connection for both knees.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma does not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation due to his disability rating and other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral shoulder disabilities have been found to be sufficiently severe for a TDIU, but the appeal is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports and possible worsening of his disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left elbow, right ankle, and right knee disabilities are being remanded for further examination to determine their etiology. The Veteran's bilateral pinguecula is also being remanded.,A temporary total rating for the Veteran's right knee disability cannot be decided without first addressing his other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's initial rating for low back disability prior to October 6, 2016 was denied. The case is remanded due to new evidence showing worsening of the condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete examinations and lack of consideration of all relevant evidence.