Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2020

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease, left knee. The appeals are dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection and increased rating claims, finding no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions of in-service onset or relationship between his current conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is denied as the evidence does not support a link between his current condition and his active military service. The Board also found that he cannot secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, but did not grant TDIU as the schedular threshold was met.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and back disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions. The issues are whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected left knee disability, or if they had their onset in service.

Your initial rating for left knee strain with joint osteoarthritis from April 15, 2019 to November 19, 2019 has been granted at a 10 percent disability rating. However, the appeal is dismissed because you did not clearly identify which issue you wanted to appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee osteoarthritis is being remanded due to the need for a new examination that complies with Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016).

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, including DJD of the knees and degenerative arthritis in both knees, as well as a meniscal tear in the right knee, were denied. The RO assigned separate disability ratings based on the specific conditions.

The Veteran's claims for migraine headaches, bilateral pes planus, hallux abductovalgus and degenerative arthritis, heloma molles (soft corns of the feet), residuals of a left ankle injury, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, and right knee disorder have been granted. The right knee disorder is considered postoperative residuals from an arthroscopy procedure.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of November 9, 2009 for the grant of TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left hip condition and its relationship to her service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran submitted a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) for multiple issues addressed in a December 2016 rating decision. The appeal is now REMANDED to issue an appropriate Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cervical spine disability, finding that there was no evidence of a neck injury or symptoms during service and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish service connection. The Board also found that the cervical spine disability is less likely than not caused by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board found that the reduction of ratings for cervical spine IVDS with degenerative arthritis and right upper extremity radiculopathy from 20% to 10% and noncompensable, respectively, was proper due to improvement in the Veteran's disability. The claim for restoration of the original ratings is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and disability ratings is remanded, while the TDIU claim from October 17, 2011 to April 4, 2012 is also remanded. The Board will consider whether the Veteran can secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the right knee disorder as secondary to a service-connected right ankle disorder, but denied direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's increased rating claims for his service-connected lumbar spine disability due to inadequate previous examinations and the need for a new examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left knee, and his service connection claim for bilateral arm numbness due to an in-service neck injury.,His service connection claim for bilateral arm numbness is currently on appeal and not yet decided.

The Veteran's post-total right knee replacement is rated at 60 percent, his bilateral hearing loss and right knee surgical scar are not compensable, and he has a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability. The Veteran also received a 20 percent rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral wrist tendonitis and strain, cervical spine DDD, bilateral medial epicondylitis, left ankle strain, osteoarthritis in the left shoulder, and arthritis in the hands.

The Board has granted service connection for a left hip disability, including left hip osteoarthritis and left hip greater trochanter bursitis, and a left thigh disability, including neuropathy of the peroneal nerve. The Veteran's torn groin and ripped anal region claims were denied as not related to service.,The Board has also granted service connection for a skin disability. The Veteran reported experiencing rashes since separation from service.