Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2022

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis due to new evidence submitted since the final denial. However, the claims are still pending as further examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is granted as service-connected because it was caused by her service-connected left knee and ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his service-connected conditions and their impact on his disability ratings. The claims are being returned for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be causally related to his active service.

The Board denied service connection for various shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during active service or being caused by service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's claims were based on exposure to Agent Orange and jungle disease furunculosis.

The Veteran's right foot disability is being remanded for further evaluation due to the amended rating schedule and lack of recent examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development due to a lack of recent VA examinations and outstanding private treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to June 12, 2015, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, but remanded the issues of sleep apnea and right ear hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate retrospective medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left knee disability prior to January 27, 2015. The claim will be further evaluated with new examination and opinion.

The Board denied increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees prior to June 27, 2017. The case was remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left-hand and right-hand disorders due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there was no medical evidence to suggest a nexus between his current diagnosis and military service.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, degenerative arthritis, and chondromalacia patella was granted a 20 percent rating from June 28, 2013, and a 50 percent rating from December 20, 2017. The right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, degenerative arthritis, and chondromalacia patella was granted a 20 percent rating from June 28, 2013, and a 40 percent rating from December 20, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his spine disability and lower extremity radiculopathies are being remanded due to deficiencies in the prior examinations, including failure to conduct validity testing.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the examination findings and the need for further clarification regarding left knee effusion, instability, and use of assistive devices.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate range of motion testing in the March 2022 VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right foot hallux valgus (post bunionectomy) and right foot degenerative arthritis, finding that these conditions are proximately due to his service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension, left knee joint osteoarthritis and patellofemoral syndrome, right knee osteoarthritis, left hip trochanteric pain syndrome with thigh impairment, and hypertension are found to meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined effect on his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.