Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including COPD and multiple joint and back conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since June 23, 2013. The Board has granted a TDIU for this period.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, vision loss (claimed as vision loss), left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and a condition manifested by a sore throat.,There is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's left achilles tendonitis is granted a 20 percent rating, but no higher. The Board also grants the Veteran a TDIU from March 20, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and TDIU prior to June 2, 2014 due to inadequate examinations conducted during flare-ups or after repetition over time. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to address his knee and cervical spine disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to failure to follow previous directives and insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran's left knee disability is being reviewed again for a proper medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and a retrospective examination to assess the severity of his left knee condition. The TDIU claim remains inextricably intertwined with the remanded matters.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include psychiatric disorders, a back disability, and a right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for further examination and evaluation.

Service connection is granted for left ankle degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and right knee degenerative arthritis.,Service connection is also granted for obstructive sleep apnea and Meniere's disease.

The Veteran's back disability is granted a 40 percent rating beginning January 21, 2014. The issue of service connection for right and left ankle disabilities has been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities, including right wrist condition with degenerative arthritis, bilateral knee conditions (patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis), left knee condition with degenerative arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the spine, right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy associated with degenerative arthritis of the spine, and left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy associated with degenerative arthritis of the spine. Additionally, a VA examination is required to determine if his depression disorder is secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right shoulder disability have been granted increased ratings, but the rating for his right shoulder is only granted prior to September 13, 2022. The Veteran's sleep apnea remains under review.,Service connection has not yet been established for the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tension headaches, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and spinal stenosis, and unspecified cervical spine issues due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of bilateral knees is related to service. The AOJ must obtain an addendum opinion and consider all submitted evidence, including a study from the National Institute of Health.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability is related to his active-duty service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability is rated at 20 percent for the period prior to February 3, 2020. For the period beginning February 3, 2020, his disability does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has decided that the claims for service connection for vertigo and right knee osteoarthritis need further evaluation due to insufficient opinions in the VA examination reports.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claims for further development, including obtaining a VA opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.