Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for right wrist degenerative arthritis, status post arthroplasty. The claim of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the spine and cervical spine degenerative arthritis, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, including cervical strain and degenerative arthritis, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The Board also found insufficient evidence linking any current disabilities to service.

Service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury.,Service connection for a stomach disability (chronic gastritis) is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability during active service and continuity of symptomatology has not been established.,Service connection for PTSD is denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD due to in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected laceration of the left ring finger was granted, but he is still denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his scar. The Board found that there were no ankylosis or doctor-prescribed bed rest issues and concluded that the preponderance of evidence supported a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding her claims of service connection for left knee, right hip, and right ankle disabilities.,No specific rating has been assigned as the issues are being remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a neck strain with paraspinal muscle spasm and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeals.,Service connection has been granted for degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, and spinal stenosis of the cervical spine.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to provide an adequate statement of reasons and bases. The Veteran's left knee disability needs further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a headache disorder, increased disability ratings for left knee and lumbar spine disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of her service-connected lumbar spine, cervical spine, and knee disabilities have been denied due to the failure to appear at scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic left and right knee disabilities, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, finding the evidence in equipoise on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis, 2nd metatarsal phalangeal joint, left foot; a back condition secondary to a left foot condition; and a bunion secondary to a left foot condition. The Board found that there was no aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service and that the Veteran did not have continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his service-connected low back disability has been withdrawn and is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative arthritis and entitlement to TDIU due to unresolved issues regarding his service-connected disability, specifically neurological manifestations related to his left leg.

The Board denied service connection for right hip and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder pain/strain and right knee disability, including as secondary to a service-connected condition. The claim of service connection for hydradenitis is remanded due to new evidence being added during the appeal period.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran’s claimed conditions because the preponderance of the evidence did not support that these disabilities began in or are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, cervical degenerative disc disease status post fusion, right upper and left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis have been granted with effective dates of April 9, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee. The VA opinion relied upon by the AOJ is inadequate due to a mischaracterization of the question on appeal.

The Board has determined that the VA examination in November 2019 was inadequate and remanded for an additional examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are related to service.