Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder and right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings related to his right knee, left knee and left knee scar are being remanded due to the need for further evidence regarding the current severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right shoulder condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate range of motion testing in a previous VA examination. A new examination is required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for upper and lower back conditions, as well as a left wrist condition, have been granted.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's upper and lower back conditions based on evidence showing they are related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD and has remanded his secondary service connection claim for lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine to include as secondary to left ankle osteoarthritis, residuals of shell fragment wound with fracture and strain left lateral malleolus.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to February 24, 2014 for a 60% rating for left wrist condition is reinstated. The claim for a higher rating for AIHA remains denied. The TDIU claim is also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right and left shoulder conditions, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to February 4, 2015. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that it did not meet or approximate the criteria for ratings higher than 20 percent prior to October 28, 2019 and higher than 40 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's sciatic nerve radiculopathy and lumbar disability have been granted increased ratings of 40 percent from March 1, 2016 to October 29, 2018. The cervical disability has also been granted an increased rating.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities have resulted in a loss of use of both legs, warranting higher level SMC.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's left ankle disability will need further examination and evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the diagnosis of polyosteoarthritis and a need for clarification. The Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service injury during a baseball game.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral eye color blindness, but the cases of degenerative disc disease and post-traumatic right ankle osteoarthritis are remanded due to inadequate examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, headaches, and osteoarthritis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral foot condition and right hip condition due to conflicting opinions from VA examiners. The Veteran needs further examination and opinion regarding his diagnosed conditions, as well as whether they are related to service or other disabilities.

The Veteran's ratings for his right knee, low back pain (claimed as degenerative arthritis), and radiculopathy in the bilateral lower extremities have been restored to their previous levels.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating was received on July 16, 2018. The Board denied the request for an earlier effective date as there is no evidence of a prior claim filed before November 14, 2017.