Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not have their clinical onsets during his active service and were not otherwise related to his service.

The Board has granted the right ankle disability claim and remanded the left elbow disability claim for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability, right hip strain, and left hip strain. The Veteran is now receiving a 100% rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's left knee condition is rated at 10 percent, and his left and right Achilles tendonitis conditions are each rated at 10 percent. The claims for increased ratings have been granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examinations and consideration of service connection claims due to lack of recent evaluations.

The Veteran's appeal of the claim for an effective date prior to May 26, 2016 for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals of the claims for higher initial disability rating for fibromyalgia and earlier effective date for service connection for fibromyalgia have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal of the claim for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed.,The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea due to inadequate medical opinion provided in the previous VA examination.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted an initial 20 percent rating prior to December 1, 2017. From March 12, 2022 onwards, a higher rating is denied. Peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and radiculopathy are also rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including acromioclavicular joint separation and glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, has been granted an initial 10 percent rating.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus to service-connected conditions.,A separate rating of 10 percent was granted for the Veteran's marching fracture of the left tibia.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from March 18, 2011 to March 19, 2012 due to her service-connected disabilities preventing her from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and right shoulder osteoarthritis, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right shoulder disability requires further examination and review, as there are outstanding medical records and a possible surgery appointment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining medical opinions on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's headaches and right foot conditions. The TDIU claim remains pending as it is intertwined with the right foot rating claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination in determining the extent of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The Veteran seeks increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for updated VA treatment records and an examination of the Veteran's right knee disability, as his last examination was over three years ago.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that it is related to his in-service back injuries during his first period of active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities, particularly whether they are related to his military service or environmental exposures during his service in the Persian Gulf.

The Board has restored a 40 percent rating for the service-connected back disability from May 1, 2018 to November 27, 2019. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating higher than 40 percent for the entire period from November 17, 2016 is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of loss of balance, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine radiculopathy, and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for herniated nucleus pulposus (HPN) of the cervical spine.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated based on partial replacement and limited extension. The claims are remanded for additional development to ensure the Veteran receives a sufficient examination.