Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2021

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral medial epicondylitis, osteoarthritis in the left shoulder, left ankle strain, and arthritis in the left hand and right hand due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to conflicting opinions and lack of compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not otherwise attributable to service. The evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection for his right knee condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for sarcoidosis, right knee status post medial meniscectomy, and left knee degenerative arthritis. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for osteoarthritis of cervical neck is denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for left knee pain with arthritis and right knee pain with arthritis.

The Board has determined that a more adequate VA medical examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability, specifically considering his reported in-service injuries.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, as well as right and left upper extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's current back disability is not considered to have had its onset in service or be otherwise causally related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine with sacroiliac injury, and radiculopathy of the lower extremities, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, he is granted a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as his degenerative arthritis of the spine with IVDS, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has found that there is not substantial compliance with the directives of its November 2019 remand and has decided to remand the case again for another medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine.

The Veteran's service-connected right total knee arthroplasty from February 17, 2015 to February 17, 2016 is granted with a 100% initial evaluation.

The Board has dismissed the claims for an initial evaluation higher than 20 percent for left knee osteoarthritis and meniscal tear, a temporary total evaluation for the left knee disorder, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and an effective date prior to October 22, 2015 for the grant of service connection for the left knee disorder. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for right knee disorder, back disorder, and left shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's cervical spine and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis disabilities have been restored to their previous ratings of 20 percent and 40 percent, respectively, effective April 3, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and denied service connection for right wrist disability. The case is remanded to assign a disability rating and effective date, as well as to consider the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the issue of a TDIU rating prior to August 19, 2009 due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's combined disability ratings did not meet the minimum percentage requirements for a TDIU rating at that time.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the likely etiology of the diagnosed adjustment disorder with anxiety features. The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition and PTSD are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background prior to September 7, 2016. The Board denied the TDIU claim as there was no evidence showing that he could not secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to the Veteran's hip and knee disabilities, including a need for additional examinations and clarification of effective dates.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a right knee condition and a left knee condition, both linked to the Veteran's military service.