Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's left hip disability, gout, and shoulder disabilities are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship with service or herbicide exposure.,Service connection for the left knee disability and arthralgia of multiple joints is granted based on new evidence submitted after the March 1983 decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hemorrhoids and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU, but the Board found that referral for extraschedular consideration was not warranted.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disorders and recurrent episodes of urethritis are not service-connected. The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence linking his current conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a muscle group XIX injury and its residuals, but remanded the claims for lower back disability and scars to left elbow, bilateral legs, and buttocks.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis and meniscal tears of the right knee, left knee, and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's knee disabilities and psychiatric disorder, including rating decisions for left hand disability, psychiatric disorder, right knee disabilities, and left knee disability. The effective dates for these claims are not addressed.

The Veteran's initial rating for adjustment disorder is granted at a 70 percent level since October 24, 2013. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the left patellar articular margin is rated as 70 percent since October 24, 2013. A TDIU is also granted.

The Veteran's left hip osteoarthritis is being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient opinion regarding its relationship to his service-connected disabilities, particularly his right hip and bilateral pes planus.

The Board has determined that there is a 50/50 chance (equipoise) that the Veteran's back disability began during or is otherwise related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for increased evaluations and TDIU due to insufficient examination results and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 12, 2014.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 30 percent prior to March 13, 2015 and from November 1, 2016 to July 30, 2017. The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the period of time between March 13, 2015 and September 22, 2016. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's status-post MRSA infection prior to October 9, 2019 does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.,The Veteran's left knee strain with osteoarthritis has not met the criteria for a disability rating greater than 10 percent before March 21, 2019 and after June 1, 2019 (status-post arthroscopy surgery).,The Veteran's right knee strain with osteoarthritis since June 1, 2019 has not met the criteria for a disability rating greater than 10 percent.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection of bilateral foot disability, metatarsalgia, and MDD was denied. The rating for the bilateral foot disability is maintained at 10% prior to May 8, 2019, and increased to 30% thereafter. A separate 10% rating is granted for metatarsalgia. The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating of MDD was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for polyarthritis palindromic rheumatism, finding that the condition is a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness and meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection due to active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has remanded the case due to updated rating criteria for knee disabilities and unclear information regarding prescribed assistive devices.

The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a higher initial rating of 50 percent from June 23, 2011 to December 26, 2013. The lumbar spine disability was remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis and meniscus tear of the left knee were denied as his disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, including post-operative anterior cruciate ligament tear and degenerative arthritis, is already rated at the maximum schedular rating of 20 percent under Diagnostic Code (DC) 5258 for semilunar cartilage dislocation with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion into the joint. A separate rating for limitation of motion due to arthritis is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine.,Service connection was denied for GERD, as there is no evidence linking it to service or a service-connected condition.