Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, right knee condition, allergic rhinitis, and right shoulder condition have been granted. The remaining issues of increased ratings for migraine headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus, and service connection for a right knee condition are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from January 6, 2014 through March 14, 2020. Effective January 6, 2014, the Veteran was granted TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for pes planus. However, the remaining claims of service connection for foot disability (other than pes planus), scoliosis, and back pain are remanded due to need for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of chronic in-service arthritis or a link to an in-service injury. The Board also noted that osteoarthritis was not diagnosed until decades after service separation.

A rating of 20 percent for intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine is granted from July 26, 2016 to August 25, 2020.,A rating in excess of 20 percent for intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine from August 25, 2020 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined disability ratings do not meet the criteria for TDIU and there is insufficient evidence of record regarding his employment status.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and left leg radiculopathy are currently rated at 20 percent prior to September 21, 2020. The Board has remanded these issues for further development.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from January 15, 2014 to July 11, 2019 due to his service-connected disabilities that rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's knee and hand disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis as these conditions are found to have started during the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and extraschedular TDIU, finding insufficient evidence to determine if he is unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability as secondary to his service-connected left knee and back disabilities.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's knee and shoulder disabilities, as well as his back disability. The main reasons for remand include obtaining additional medical opinions regarding the severity of the left knee disability, determining whether the left shoulder disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition, and addressing the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to December 28, 2016.

The Veteran's appeals were denied in various aspects, including extension of a temporary total rating for right knee convalescence beyond July 31, 2016; denial of earlier effective dates for left knee osteoarthritis and service connection for a right knee strain; and denial of a compensable rating for sinusitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate analysis and failure to address all claims reasonably raised by the record, including the Veteran's claim for a temporary total rating for left knee replacement surgery under 38 C.F.R. § 4.30.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability, right knee arthritis, and right lower extremity sensory impairment render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to a lack of evidence linking his current conditions to active service.

The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examinations and records to determine the current severity of his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of all claims in an October 2019 written statement.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee degenerative osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his in-service injuries.