Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's back and knee disabilities are related to his service-connected bilateral foot disability.

The Board denied a higher rating for right and left knee instability and limitation of flexion, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not meet criteria for more severe ratings.

The Veteran's initial rating for a left ankle disability prior to January 30, 2017 is denied as the evidence does not support an increased rating beyond 10 percent. For the period from August 1, 2017 onwards, his disability remains rated at 20 percent due to marked limited motion of the ankle.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical opinions and evidence. The TDIU claim is also being reconsidered.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the current diagnoses are not related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of claim. Separate evaluations for radiculopathy in both lower extremities are also granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete examination and lack of consideration of all service treatment records. The Veteran's low back disability is being reviewed for direct service connection, secondary to PTSD, or both.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis, instability, left knee meniscal tear, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis have been rated based on their severity. The Veteran has received separate ratings for his knee conditions and the thoracolumbar spine condition.,The Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for his thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis effective February 8, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for service-connected hypertension is denied as his blood pressure readings do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.,The Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left knee strain and right knee osteoarthritis are remanded due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for osteoarthritis of the left hip and TDIU are remanded due to issues with notification of scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent prior to December 23, 2019 and remains at that rating thereafter. The evidence shows the Veteran has loss of forward flexion of his spine with less than full range of motion.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that his disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating issues have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the claims by his representative in August 2019. The Board also remanded several issues including increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and a temporary total rating for convalescence due to post-operative jejuno-cutaneous enterocutaneous fistula.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and fibromyalgia, as well as her increased rating claims for bilateral hip disabilities. The Board found that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions, nor any evidence linking them to a service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for a right wrist disability, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of onset in service or causation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, and neck disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including post-surgical conditions, is rated at 60 percent from April 1, 2018 to December 1, 2019. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise that his symptoms more closely approximate a 60 percent rating during this period.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current back, neck, and bilateral knee disabilities and his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine, left hip, left knee, right foot, and left foot osteoarthritis were not incurred during service or caused by his service-connected right ankle disability. The conditions are considered to be due to non-service-connected risk factors such as age and obesity.,As a result, the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee and left knee (post-arthroplasty) based on continuity of symptoms since service.