Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip disability, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses of osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ is required to obtain relevant medical records from military hospitals in Germany, as well as VA treatment records. A new VA opinion is needed to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding post-service treatment and symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for migraine headaches, low back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate examination reports and failure to comply with previous remand instructions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with DDD L5-S1 and radiculopathy of left lower extremity associated with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine were denied. The VA determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, including osteoarthritis of the subtalar joint and any residuals of clubfoot. The Board found that the pre-existing condition did not manifest during active service and was not aggravated by service.

The Veteran's right knee instability and meniscus condition are rated at 20 percent, effective from April 18, 2017. The Veteran also receives a 30 percent rating for his right knee limitation of flexion.

The Board granted a 60 percent rating for the left knee disorder from December 17, 2019, effective as of that date.

The Board dismissed the claim of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle degenerative arthritis with tenosynovitis because the Veteran elected to participate in RAMP, which means that jurisdiction no longer exists in the Legacy system.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The issues of service connection for various disabilities are now pending.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and other conditions that have rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD with sleep disorder), degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and a nerve disability due to additional development being required.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist disability is not service-connected as it is not related to his active duty service, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service. The Board also found that the current arthritis is not aggravated by his service-connected right elbow strain and residuals of ulnar nerve transposition.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent prior to August 18, 2015 and from that date. His degenerative arthritis of the right knee is rated at 10 percent. Right knee instability was not found to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's fatty tumor and its residuals, status post-excision, as due to herbicide exposure during his active duty in Vietnam.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability or a nexus between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is being remanded for further evaluation, and his claim for TDIU is also being remanded due to the potential impact on his employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis, is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The decision grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease and left upper extremity radiculopathy are granted service connection. The bilateral shoulder disability, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis are denied. Service connection for the left trigeminal neuralgia is granted with a 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lower/middle back disorder and left knee disorder due to potential service connection issues. The Veteran is also being asked to provide updated treatment records.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to address due process issues and obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's employment prospects. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has remanded this claim due to an inadequate April 2017 VA examination, which did not assess the degree of additional range of motion lost due to pain on use or during flare-ups. A new examination is needed.