Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected low back strain and its relationship to his current diagnoses. The issues of increased rating for recurrent low back strain and service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy are being returned to VA for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to his in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a bilateral eye condition, lumbar spine disability, and headaches due to insufficient medical opinions. Additional development is needed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and left knee disabilities as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip, left hip, right knee, and left knee degenerative arthritis status-post joint replacement. The issues of entitlement to service connection for neck disability and shoulder disabilities are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests to reopen her claims for coccyx disability, right ankle deltoid ligament strain, and left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings of her right ankle deltoid ligament strain and left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain was also denied.

The Veteran's PTSD, combined with other service-connected conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to February 22, 2019. From that date onward, his PTSD alone meets the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU from December 1, 2013, to February 23, 2015. For other periods, his combined disability rating was sufficient for TDIU.

The Veteran's neck strain with myofascial pain syndrome, degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis is rated at 20 percent since March 25, 2009. The rating was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining outstanding treatment records from Martin Army Community Hospital and Naval Hospital Pensacola.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability secondary to his service-connected disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a direct causal relationship between his service-connected conditions and his current right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for shrapnel, left foot, and neuropathy, left foot have been denied. The Veteran currently has a staged rating of 10 percent prior to February 10, 2020, and 30 percent thereafter for his shrapnel, left foot disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if any diagnosed left knee disability had its onset in service or is otherwise related to the Veteran's reports of sustaining a fall or during physical training in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his service-connected right hip, thigh, and knee disabilities due to conflicting medical evidence regarding whether he has a muscle injury. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it may be affected by the outcome of these claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and benefits related to his left upper extremity disabilities are being remanded due to the need for further development, including extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of compliance with previous remands and for obtaining updated VA treatment records, as well as private treatment records from relevant providers. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is now pending again.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's in-service back pain and subsequent diagnosis are related to his current condition. The claim was reopened due to new evidence provided since the previous denial.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was granted a 40% rating from June 3, 2014, to March 16, 2016.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability was granted a 30% rating from June 3, 2014, to October 19, 2016.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues related to the initial ratings and service connection claims. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal.