Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, granted service connection for asthma secondary to obstructive sleep apnea, and granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to depression.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board has denied entitlement to higher ratings for different time periods. The restoration of a prior 20 percent rating was granted beginning December 1, 2017.

The Veteran's back disability, including lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and intervertebral disc syndrome, was rated at 40% prior to October 10, 2019. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, but the appellant paid for his burial expenses and filed a timely claim. The Board found that the criteria for nonservice-connected burial benefits were met.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and left knee degenerative arthritis. The decision is remanded to determine the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is not related to his military service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to a fall during basic training. The presumption of soundness applies due to the preexisting nature of the condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and osteoarthritis (including of the bilateral hands, right knee, right hip, left shoulder, and neck), all claimed as secondary to service-connected cognitive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bronchitis, degenerative joint disease (DJD), and diabetes-related neuropathy, were denied. The Board found no current disability as claimed in any of these cases.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition present during or within one year after active duty and insufficient medical opinion to establish a link between current symptoms and military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for osteoarthritis, right knee, status post right leg fracture with ORIF surgery was denied. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for slight instability of the right knee.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain and osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his in-service injury and continuous since separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and neuritis of the left lower extremity associated with this condition have been denied by the Board. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his service-connected herniorrhaphy, residuals and TDIU claims.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's spine, shoulder, and knee conditions due to incomplete development of his treatment records.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including instability, is rated at 20 percent since the appeal period began. The Veteran also received a separate rating for his left knee instability.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is currently rated at 10 percent from November 1, 2006 to September 25, 2019 and at 20 percent thereafter. The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the entire period on appeal.

The Board has remanded two issues: 1) the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability, and 2) his request for an earlier effective date for dependency benefits for his spouse. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis (claimed as breathing problems) was denied due to the lack of a medical nexus between his current condition and service.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for left knee osteoarthritis with tear of the post lateral bundle of the anterior cruciate ligament was also denied, as there is no evidence of instability or meniscectomy.

The Board has granted an initial separate 10 percent ratings for osteoarthritis of each knee, effective from June 20, 2013 to December 5, 2019.