Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 30, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve in both lower extremities, and femoral nerve radiculopathy need to be re-evaluated.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the need for new VA examinations to assess his left shoulder and wrist conditions, as well as consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Board has restored the Veteran's right knee disability rating from 10 percent to 20 percent effective October 30, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis and lumbar spine DDD with radiculopathy to obtain additional medical opinions regarding their etiology. The issues are related to service connection on a secondary basis.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees is proximately due to or aggravated by her service-connected bursitis of the right hip and spondyloarthritis changes in L4-L5.

The Veteran's appeal is partially granted with some issues being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted a 10% rating from December 13, 2011 to June 1, 2022 for limitation of extension.,A 10% rating was granted for the Veteran's left knee disability from June 10, 2019 onward due to limitation of extension.,The Veteran's right knee and left knee disabilities are not entitled to higher ratings based on flexion or other criteria.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to obtain retrospective medical opinions regarding the Veteran's range of motion prior to August 16, 2019, and whether his disability is consistent with ankylosis or its functional equivalent.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis and right upper extremity radiculopathy were denied increased ratings as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is related to service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for her thoracolumbar spine levoscoliosis with degenerative arthritis is denied. The case is remanded for further development regarding the issue of entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those for initial disability ratings and service connection claims.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for PTSD prior to February 24, 2017, and in excess of 50 percent since then; TDIU is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for an in-person hearing at the RO, and the need to readjudicate the issue based on all available evidence.

The appeal for higher ratings for left ankle strain with degenerative arthritis; left knee degenerative arthritis; right ankle strain; right knee degenerative arthritis; and acne of the face, neck, and chest is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for gout and hallux valgus, left foot.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis.

The Board granted a disability rating of 20 percent for the service-connected left knee dislocated semilunar cartilage prior to August 7, 2015. The Veteran's other issues related to degenerative arthritis and instability were denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to new evidence added to the claims file, including a December 2020 VA examination and records from Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Board has denied service connection for right and left hip disorders, as well as for a left foot disability. The remaining issues have been remanded.