Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected left elbow osteoarthritis does not result in loss of use of the left hand or arm, and therefore he is ineligible for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back conditions, specifically whether they are related to service.

The Veteran's effective date for a 40% rating for degenerative arthritis of the spine is set at March 29, 2019. The Board also granted an earlier effective date for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance eligibility.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left ankle disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The right ankle disability, tendonitis and lateral collateral ligament sprain, as well as the right knee osteoarthritis and meniscal tear are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection were denied. The lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, while the right and left lower extremity radiculopathies are each rated at 10 percent. Service connection for a left hip disability secondary to the lumbar spine disability was remanded.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including AC separation and degenerative arthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent since June 10, 2014. The appeal for a higher rating has been denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left knee arthritis are granted service connection. The right knee condition is remanded for further examination to determine if it is secondary to the service-connected left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, shin splints of the left leg, and residuals of degenerative arthritis of the right ankle. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the other issues.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis was granted, and he is now receiving a 20% evaluation effective September 19, 2011. The decision also addressed the retroactive effective date of this rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination and readjudication of the issues. The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as meniscal tear and osteoarthritis.

The Board denied service connection for pain of the left great toe, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and a chronic low back condition including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.,There is no current diagnosis of CFS or any other specific condition related to the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disabilities are related to his service, granting service connection for a back disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to May 7, 2020, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a combined effects opinion on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine ruptured disc with stenosis and degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disability was not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, and was not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70% rating prior to April 26, 2017. The other issues on appeal were remanded for further development.

The Veteran's spinal osteoarthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The Board denied a higher rating as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for an even higher rating.,A separate 10 percent rating has been granted for radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve from July 15, 2014. However, the Veteran's current condition does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability was aggravated by his active duty service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his active service, including an in-service motor vehicle accident and/or firearm injury. His liver cyst is also being remanded for a medical opinion on its relationship to his active service.,The Veteran's TDIU rating claim is being remanded as final adjudication of the cervical spine disability and liver cyst claims could affect his employability status.