Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disorder, including DJD and Baker's cyst or residuals thereof. The right knee, low back, and bilateral hip disorders are denied as not related to active service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis status post meniscectomy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease. As these claims have been resolved in favor of the Veteran, they are no longer under appeal.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the left ankle disorder and increased disability ratings for various knee, hand, and knee conditions, as well as asthma and PTSD with alcohol use disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hand strain, and bilateral plantar fasciitis and great toe degenerative arthritis. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible reports of symptoms during service and subsequent treatment.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for back disability effective March 11, 2009. The issue of secondary service connection for chronic kidney disease remains pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inconsistencies in the April 2018 examination report and the need to consider the Veteran's entitlement to an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine and compression fractures of the vertebrae are related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis is rated as 50 percent disabling. The claims for higher ratings for the thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of left knee degenerative arthritis due to incomplete records and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50 percent, and he is granted TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran currently has a right knee disability and if so, whether it is related to service. The Veteran's in-service complaints of knee pain are noted, as well as his current diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to a single service-connected disability, finding that her combined impact of multiple service-connected disabilities rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's right ankle disability has been rated at 10 percent since July 1, 2005. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating as there was no more than moderate limitation of motion.

The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is dismissed. The Board grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities including an unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis, and radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, and restoration of disability ratings for various knee and ankle conditions were denied. The appeal was remanded for further action on other issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for her service-connected right shoulder and lumbosacral strain disabilities require additional development due to inadequate medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of bilateral hearing loss, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and specific phobia.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus. The cases of chronic left and right knee disorders secondary to bilateral pes planus are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected orthopedic disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantial gainful employment for the period from June 10, 2015 through March 21, 2018. As his combined evaluation during this period was at least 90 percent, which is sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU, the claim is granted.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right knee disability and remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches, as well as entitlement to TDIU. The appeal is mixed due to some issues being granted while others are not.