Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions provided in a previous remand. The case is now returned for further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding her lumbar spine, left hip, right ankle, left ankle, and costochondritis conditions.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left knee osteoarthritis are being remanded to obtain additional medical records from his period of incarceration.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, right knee joint osteoarthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis, right hip joint osteoarthritis, and left hip joint osteoarthritis have all been denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine are not supported by competent medical evidence linking his current disabilities to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have been granted initial ratings, with the cervical spine disability receiving a 30% rating effective December 21, 2010. The thoracolumbar spine disability received a 40% rating effective October 22, 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorders. The current evidence does not sufficiently address whether these conditions are related to service or if they developed after separation from service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's left knee disability. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims for increased ratings can be adjudicated. The claim will be remanded to allow for additional examination and consideration of the evidence.

The Veteran's current anxiety disorder is proximately due to, or the result of, his adjudicated service-connected disabilities. Service connection for an anxiety disorder as secondary to his service-connected disabilities has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right lung disability, fatty liver disease, allergic rhinitis, low back strain with osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, and sciatic nerve radiculopathy are denied. The Veteran's claim for Schamberg's disease of the feet is also denied. Service connection for kidney disability (claimed as renal dysfunction) is remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a nexus between the condition and active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, lower back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence from previous VA examinations. The case will be returned for further review.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for his right obturator nerve condition, reopening of the bilateral inguinal hernia repair claim, and TDIU have been dismissed. The appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his low back disability is remanded.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis. The Board finds that additional development is needed for the increased rating claims for left and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's right hand, left hand, right foot, and left foot cold weather injury residuals are all granted as service connected.,His degenerative arthritis of the spine is also granted as service connected.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are both granted as service connected.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee and scar disabilities were remanded due to the possibility of increased severity since their last examination in May 2017. Additional VA examinations are needed to assess current symptomatology and disability levels.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her right foot/ankle disability and scars was denied. She is currently rated at 40 percent for the disability, effective from December 18, 2011.,For the period prior to April 30, 2012, she was not granted an initial compensable rating for her right foot/ankle scars.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronic right shoulder degenerative arthritis in service or within one year after separation. The Board also found that the current diagnosis is not related to an in-service injury and that continuity of symptomatology has not been established.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's issues on this current appeal, including obtaining addendum opinions and VA examinations for his eye conditions and musculoskeletal conditions (cervical spine and bilateral knee conditions).