Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and TDIU due to outstanding treatment records and additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and left upper extremity (LUE) cervical radiculopathy on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during and have continued since service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder condition is related to her service. The Veteran needs a new examination to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions have been dismissed.,A claim to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability has been granted, and the Veteran is now entitled to service connection for adjustment disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and alcohol abuse disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right hip status post replacement, finding that it was caused by his service-connected left foot and ankle degenerative arthritis with loss of use of the left lower extremity below the knee. The decision is based on a private medical opinion from Dr. C.P., who concluded that the Veteran's altered gait due to his left foot and ankle condition accelerated his right hip arthritis, necessitating the need for a total hip replacement.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 40 percent each, effective April 18, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability and TDIU are being remanded due to procedural defects. The RO must obtain updated VA medical records, issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case, and adjudicate the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's left elbow condition is not service-connected as it is attributed to his service-connected fibromyalgia.,The Veteran's right knee condition is not service-connected and the Board found no separate diagnosis for this issue.

The Board has denied a higher initial rating for Achilles tendonitis and degenerative arthritis of the right heel, finding that the disability does not result in marked limitation of motion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted.,Service connection for left hip osteoarthritis (limitation of extension of the thigh), right hip osteoarthritis (limitation of extension of the thigh), left hip osteoarthritis (impairment of the thigh), left hip osteoarthritis (limitation of flexion of the thigh), and right hip osteoarthritis (impairment of the thigh) was granted, but with an effective date of December 5, 2015.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates were denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no persuasive evidence that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it had onset in, or is otherwise related to, active military service and whether it is caused or aggravated by the service-connected disabilities, including chronic pain from his service-connected knee and psychiatric disabilities.,The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis and instability are remanded for appropriate examinations to determine their current severity with consideration of functional impairment on employability.,The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and instability are remanded for appropriate examinations to determine their current severity with consideration of functional impairment on employability.,The Veteran's depressive disorder is remanded for an appropriate examination to determine its current severity.,Earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and ratings for the Veteran's left knee disability and depressive disorder are remanded as they may be related to his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's earlier effective date claims are inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for a back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a left knee disorder due to inconsistencies in the rating decisions.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's service connection for various eye and joint conditions due to incomplete medical records and the need for additional VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of open angle glaucoma and a higher rating for right total knee arthroplasty are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The reduction of the rating for cervical spine disability from 30 percent to 0 percent, effective March 1, 2020, was improper due to lack of procedural compliance. The 30 percent rating is restored.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as due to sleep apnea. The claim for tinea versicolor is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's quadriplegia was proximately caused and aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left knee disability and PTSD, as well as his claim for TDIU, were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip disability, diagnosed as right hip internal derangement. The claims of bilateral hallux valgus and right knee disability are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has remanded both issues for further review due to inadequate VA examinations and the need to consider additional evidence from the claims file.