Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2019

The Board has decided that a new VA examination and medical opinion are needed to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability, including whether it is related to his service or his service-connected residuals of crush injury, left great toe.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus has been granted. The initial rating for major depressive disorder remains denied. The effective date for service connection of major depressive disorder is not earlier than April 15, 2016.,Remaining claims for service connection are pending and need further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her service-connected right knee disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, was granted. The right shoulder disorder claim was reopened due to new evidence, but denied as the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the condition is related to service. The left shoulder disorder and sleep disorder claims were also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a lower back disability as secondary to his right knee condition and for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to his lower back disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple issues has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by his representative.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, degenerative arthritis of the knees, and other specified depressive disorder have all been denied as not related to service or otherwise supported by evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, right hip avascular necrosis, and bilateral knee strain (including right and left knees). The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service exposure to physical activity such as pushups and marching in combat boots, which are consistent with the development of his current conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and neurological disability of the feet, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active duty service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left arm disability and right shoulder impingement syndrome and degenerative arthritis are not service-connected. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions, as well as their relationship to service or other disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee is currently rated as 10 percent disabling for painful motion, but no higher. The Board has remanded the issue of increased rating.,There are no compensable scars on the Veteran’s right knee.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service bicipital tendonitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the right knee osteoarthritis is related to the in-service arthroscopy for plica release.

The Veteran's appeal regarding scoliosis and kyphosis of the back was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.,Initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee disabilities were denied due to lack of additional functional impairment beyond limitation of motion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder is denied as the evidence does not establish a link between his current condition and active service.

The Veteran's increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and tension headaches are remanded due to the need for new examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain, cervical spine degenerative arthritis and disc disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left hip strain disorder are all remanded due to the need for further examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's initial rating requests for a higher disability rating were denied. The left shoulder, left carpal tunnel syndrome, and right carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities are rated at the minimum of 10 percent each since February 22, 2016. Service connection was denied for right hip disorder, bilateral tendonitis, right knee disorder, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's cervical strain and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and IVDS have been granted service connection, but his increased rating claims for these conditions are denied.