Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's thoracic spine disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected low back disability.,Right ear hearing loss is granted and an effective date of September 5, 2000 (but not earlier) for the award of separate ratings for right knee postoperative scars is granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine due to insufficient medical opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset of his back pain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to lack of prior formal or informal claims filed before December 17, 2015.

The Board denied increased ratings for right wrist scapholunate disassociation, spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine junction with strain and degenerative arthritis, left shoulder strain, radiculopathy in the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy in the left lower extremity.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied an initial compensable rating for epididymitis/varicocele. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is found to have begun during active service, while his epididymitis/varicocele does not meet criteria for a compensable rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 7, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for peripheral neuropathy was denied. The back disability is rated at 40 percent since May 9, 2001. Separate ratings of 20 percent are granted for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic and femoral nerves respectively. Service connection is established for Haglund's deformities of both heels.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right wrist pain, right shin pain, and left shin pain due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities.,The Board also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle strain (claimed as right ankle pain) and right knee osteoarthritis (claimed as right knee pain), as there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty.,Service connection was also granted for migraines, with the reasoning being that the Veteran reported experiencing these headaches since deployment.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since March 7, 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for more contemporaneous examinations to determine the current level of severity of all impairment resulting from service-connected right and left shoulder rotator cuff tear and back disability.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine disability and denied service connection for myalgia. The lumbar spine disability is found to be related to service, while the myalgia is not secondary to any service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and right foot pes planus.,Service connection is also granted for right foot hallux valgus, but the issue is remanded due to insufficient development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine due to new evidence associated with his case, specifically in-service complaints of back pain. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.

The appeal for a higher rating for the left shoulder disability is dismissed.,The appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU prior to February 3, 2017, is dismissed.,The appeal for eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits prior to February 3, 2017, is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder with anxiety and insomnia, and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder to include degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his active duty service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased disability ratings in excess of 100 percent for loss of use of the right and left lower extremities, 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and 20 percent for status post left clavicular shaft fracture with arthritis.

The Board has denied reopening the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right ankle disability and has remanded the issue of increased rating for left ankle disability.