Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, DDD and DJD of the lumbar spine, bilateral foot disabilities, and acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder NOS).

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches, cervical spine spondylosis, facet syndrome and cervical myofascial pain syndrome, right shoulder osteoarthritis and labral tear status post arthroscopic repair, thoracolumbar strain, and right knee tendonitis/tendinosis and patellofemoral pain syndrome. The Board found the evidence to be in equipoise as to whether these conditions arose during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for arthritis/osteoarthritis and an eye condition due to incomplete examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disability is secondary to his service-connected right ankle and/or plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that additional evidence has been added to his claims file since the January 2018 statement of the case. The VA must issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) to consider this new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since March 23, 2015. The Board has granted a TDIU effective that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to May 28, 2020 due to inadequate examination findings. The Veteran will need another VA examination to address these issues.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee condition was denied. The Board also found that the Veteran is not entitled to SMC at the housebound rate from July 1, 2014 due to lack of evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment solely due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for temporary total evaluations under 38 C.F.R. � 4.29 and 38 C.F.R. � 4.30 are denied as there is no evidence of hospitalization or surgery with convalescence due to a service-connected disability during the appeal period.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's death, as no one was seeking substitution as an accrued-benefits recipient.

The Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to January 30, 2018.

The Board has vacated the November 2021 decision denying service connection for a lumbar spine disorder due to failure to comply with prior remand directives. The case is now REMANDED for further development.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, higher ratings for GERD and left knee disability. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine arthritis and left knee osteoarthritis based on the presumption of chronicity due to continuous symptoms since service separation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and bilateral wrist disabilities due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for additional clarifying addenda/opinions.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for the Veteran's service-connected left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded both issues due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder and nerve disabilities. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are currently being reviewed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple physical conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 20, 2021.

The Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the spine, is presumed to have been incurred in service due to continuous symptoms since separation.