Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted service connection, but hypertension and other spine, hip, and ankle disabilities are not. The claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, hip, and ankle disabilities, as well as the rating of left knee disability in excess of 10 percent, and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions were dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right elbow, left elbow, and thoracolumbar spine as part of a generalized arthritic process.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew her appeal.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for a VA compensation examination to reassess the severity of the service-connected low back disorder with separately rated disabilities of weakness in the right lower extremity (RLE) and left lower extremity (LLE). The issues include rating increases, TDIU prior to February 28, 2013, and remand for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports and the need for additional functional loss information.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with prior remand directives and additional development is needed, including a supplemental VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right and left hips, as well as chondromalacia patella with internal derangement of torn meniscus and arthritis of the left knee are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right knee arthritis is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of the 2015 right ankle fracture and its relationship to the service-connected disability.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a right knee disorder is granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of entitlement to higher ratings for left shoulder disability, right elbow disorder, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of right great toe fracture was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms did not more closely approximate moderately severe or severe foot injury, or complete loss of the foot.

The Veteran's right ulnar nerve disorder is service-connected due to pre-existing condition that was aggravated by active duty service.,The Veteran has residuals from excision of a tumor from the right elbow, which are also service-connected.,Service connection for a back disorder is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or event resulting in such a disability.,Service connection for left arm disorders (claimed secondary to a claimed back disorder) and lower extremity radiculopathies (claimed secondary to a claimed back disorder) are also denied.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death and were not related to service. The Board also found that he was not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board has dismissed all issues on appeal as the Veteran has withdrawn her appeals.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right knee osteoarthritis. The case will be remanded to obtain new examinations and determine the etiology and severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current right hip condition is related to service. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to address this issue.

The Veteran's right knee disorder, variously diagnosed, is granted service connection.,An initial rating of 10 percent for left knee PPS with instability and painful motion is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased evaluations for right and left knee osteoarthritis due to inadequate examination findings. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with the evaluation claims.