Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left ankle, finding that symptoms were chronic in service and continuous since separation. The decision is based on presumptive service connection due to a disease becoming manifest within one year after separation.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, left eye cataract, and diabetic retinopathy of left eye due to insufficient development.

The Board denied service connection for right knee pain, left knee pain, and neck pain as these conditions are not related to the Veteran's active military service.,There is no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and the in-service injury.

The Veteran's service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine is granted. The Board finds that remanding the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and impotence is necessary as the representative has recently advanced that these disorders may be secondary to obesity caused by the service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a cervical spine disability is denied as there was no formal or informal claim prior to August 6, 2020.

The Board has denied service connection for a right shoulder condition and a right knee condition, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and active military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to July 29, 2020 and in excess of 40 percent thereafter for his back disability is denied. The issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to September 12, 2018 is remanded.

The Veteran's left hip disability was denied as not related to service. The initial rating for TBI with lazy eye and head injury remains at 10 percent, despite the March 2018 VA examination indicating level '1' impairment in multiple facets.,Service connection for migraine headaches is granted effective January 24, 2018, but no earlier date can be established as there was no intent to file a claim prior to that date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in his inability to secure and maintain employment consistent with his occupational history, leading to a TDIU.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, characterized as osteoarthritis. The case is being remanded to obtain an opinion regarding whether the current left knee disorder is related to in-service injury.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at a maximum of 30 percent for the entire appeal period, effective from July 20, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates prior to July 15, 2013, were denied as the evidence did not show that increases in disability occurred prior to this date. The right knee scar was rated compensable but no higher, while the lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and RLE radiculopathy received increased ratings effective July 15, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left wrist condition is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis, instability, lumbosacral spine disability, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity have been granted. The initial rating for right knee osteoarthritis is set at 20 percent effective February 1, 2012, with a higher initial 30 percent rating effective August 17, 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease, as well as left foot pain. The Veteran's disabilities are deemed to have resulted from in-service injuries.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his acquired psychiatric disability (depression and PTSD), migraine headaches, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbar strain, left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee, lateral instability, post-operative patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left knee, and surgical scars of the left knee, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity disability, including hip and knee issues, is related to his service-connected foot disabilities (metatarsalgia with pes planus and knee osteoarthritis).

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA disability evaluation criteria.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection due to inadequate prior examinations. The Veteran is seeking a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, which was previously denied in January 2021. He also seeks service connection for left hip osteoarthritis with trochanteric bursitis.

The Board has granted a temporary total rating for convalescence following the Veteran's May 2015 left shoulder surgery, as required by the applicable regulations.