Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,An effective date earlier than June 20, 2016 is denied for the grant of a 20 percent disability rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his joint disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU effective January 14, 2019. The case is remanded for further development regarding his prior period of employment.

The Veteran's disability ratings for his spine condition, radiculopathy, and migraines have been restored to their previous levels.,The Veteran was previously rated at 40%, 20%, and 30% respectively. The reductions were reversed.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee meniscal tear with degenerative arthritis, status post arthroscopy, was dismissed as the May 2019 VA Form 10182 did not identify the March 2019 rating decision or the Veteran's increased rating claim as the subject of disagreement.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the bilateral knees and bilateral shoulders, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is granted service connection based on continuity of symptoms since service. The gastrointestinal disability to include diverticulosis and GERD is denied as not related to service.

The Veteran is granted a separate disability rating of 10 percent for the symptomatic partial removal of the semilunar cartilage associated with degenerative arthritis of the left knee from September 14, 2007 to October 31, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, osteoarthritis of the left knee, and total right knee replacement along with osteoarthritis due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for a 40 percent rating for lumbar spondylosis is dismissed. The Board also granted the Veteran a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional diagnostic testing related to the Veteran's bilateral foot disability, including onychomycosis and degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been granted, including right and left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, a psychiatric disorder (PTSD, panic disorder, depressive disorder), lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, headache disorder, right foot plantar fasciitis, and left foot plantar fasciitis. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left eye pterygium have been denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his acquired psychiatric disorder and various hip and knee conditions. The Veteran is required to undergo further examinations to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for a gastric condition, to include GERD. Service connection is granted for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's service connection for a left knee disorder and tinnitus is granted. The previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss and right thigh nerve compression (claimed as femoral artery nerve syndrome and meralgia paresthetica) are reopened.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for an examination and medical opinion addressing his employability given his service-connected disabilities, as well as discrepancies in his educational and work history.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disorder, including a nonunion avulsion fracture of the medial malleolus and osteoarthritis, based on resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of the lower extremities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from May 29, 2015, to October 3, 2018. The Board granted TDIU for this period.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA service. The claim will be further developed to determine if there is a causal relationship between the Veteran's current left shoulder conditions and his military service.