Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's hearing loss claim is denied as it did not manifest in service and is otherwise not related to his in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability prior to November 5, 2020, was found to have limited forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 80 degrees with a combined ROM of 220 degrees, without ankylosis or other disabling conditions. Since then, there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis. The Veteran's right shoulder disability claim remains pending as it was granted in a separate decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for external hemorrhoids, right foot disability, and COPD. The claim for increased rating of irritable bowel syndrome was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives regarding range of motion testing for active and passive motions. The Veteran needs to undergo a new VA examination to assess his bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including osteoarthritis and meniscal tear, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes. The Board also denied her claim for TDIU prior to September 29, 2017.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the left knee, finding that the Veteran's range of motion did not warrant such a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain, esophageal hiatal hernia with narrowing of esophagogastric junction, unspecified anxiety disorder, osteoarthritis with calcified peri-tendinosis in both shoulders, and dermatitis, eczematous, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of at least 70 percent for his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee and ankle conditions, left shoulder arthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis, are found to likely preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, and his left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted a 20 percent rating prior to July 16, 2015. However, the claim for a higher rating since that date remains denied.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is rated at 10 percent, and the left knee condition is also rated at 10 percent.,Both knees are currently rated based on limitation of extension.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to January 30, 2019 is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Veteran's spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and degenerative arthritis of the back due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their onset during service.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds that this rating is not supported by the evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected back condition was denied as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine during this portion of the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right hand and left hand are being remanded due to a lack of adequate examination in determining functional loss.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion, as forward flexion was greater than 30 degrees but less than 60 degrees. For TDIU, the Board determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy, an increased rating for cervical strain with osteoarthritis, and a TDIU. The Veteran's claims are being returned due to conflicting medical findings and need clarification on functional loss.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis and instability, is currently rated at 20% for the entire appeal period. The Board has granted a higher rating of 20% for right knee instability beginning July 1, 2019.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability did not manifest during service or within one year of service, and is not otherwise related to service. The claim for service connection is denied.