Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected right and left hip disabilities, along with his lumbar spine disability, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU based on the severity of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The appellant withdrew their appeal for service connection claims related to left lower extremity radiculopathy and intervertebral disk syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative arthritis are granted service connection. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is also granted as secondary to his lumbar spine condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability had onset in active duty service. The decision concludes that the reasonable doubt created by this relative equipoise in the evidence must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome, cervical strain, and spondylolisthesis. These conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his cervical spine and right shoulder disability are dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right shoulder acromioclavicular degenerative joint disease is also dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and sustain substantially gainful employment, as he has reported working as an independent insurance agent.

The Veteran's cervical spine stenosis with degenerative arthritis is rated at 30 percent for the period prior to May 28, 2019 and denied for a higher rating thereafter.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle disability, finding no link between the current disabilities and documented in-service injuries.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ulnar neuropathy and posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the right elbow are related to a right elbow fracture he sustained while serving in Germany. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The decision concludes that the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and musculoskeletal conditions.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease and erectile dysfunction are found to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by his service-connected complex regional pain syndrome, residuals of fractured right wrist.,The Veteran's multilevel cervical spondyloarthropathy is not found to be secondary to his service-connected condition. The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is not found to be related to his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for an infection, status post total right knee replacement is denied because he did not have a current disability characterized as an infection of the right knee during the claim period.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's back condition and its relationship to his service-connected bilateral knee and feet disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's degenerative arthritis and neuropathy of the right hand. The AOJ will have an opportunity to review new evidence on remand.

The Board has denied service connection for prostate gland disability, hypothyroidism, right knee disabilities, and an acquired psychiatric disability. The claims for these conditions are being remanded due to procedural errors in the development process.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle tendonitis with degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's statements are credible and supported by a positive nexus opinion from a VA medical examination.

The Veteran's initial ratings for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee degenerative arthritis were denied. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet criteria for a separate rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate examination findings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis is at least as likely as not caused by an injury in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.