Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Board denied effective dates prior to April 18, 2021 for the grants of service connection for various disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an intent to file a claim before that date.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a right knee disability due to insufficient medical evidence and an inadequate VA examination. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining an adequate VA opinion on the nature and etiology of any diagnosed right knee disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and left ankle sprain with tendonitis before the Board. The appeal is dismissed as a result.

The Board denied service connection for right foot, left foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.,Service connection was also denied for left ankle and right ankle disabilities as there is no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder osteoarthritis and right foot hallux rigidus, finding that new evidence did not support reopening of these claims.,For right shoulder osteoarthritis, the Board noted a current diagnosis but found no in-service disease or injury related to this condition. The claim was denied as there was insufficient evidence linking the current disability to service.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disability, breast cancer, and lymphedema are all found to be service-connected. However, the claim for depression secondary to breast cancer is remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection has been granted for the Veteran's bilateral foot condition, breast cancer, and lymphedema as a result of her breast cancer treatment.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the back is granted as service connected, with the injury occurring during active duty for training (ACDUTRA). The Board found a causal relationship between the Veteran's parachute jump injury and his current condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 50 percent for his psychiatric disorder is dismissed. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, left hand degenerative arthritis, and right hand degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he passed away during the appeal process.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and neck conditions due to inadequate etiology opinions based on the Veteran's lay statements of continuous symptoms since service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding earlier effective dates and higher disability ratings for various conditions, including left hip arthritis, peripheral vascular disease, degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain, right knee arthritis, and ankle strain. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the withdrawal.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for entitlement to service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis and left knee degenerative arthritis due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower sciatic nerve is not productive of moderately severe or severe incomplete paralysis, and thus he does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.,Similarly, his radiculopathy of the left lower femoral nerve also does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent due to moderate incomplete paralysis.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is remanded for additional examination and analysis.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Veteran's current disabilities are related to in-service events, with no evidence contradicting the opinions provided by medical professionals.

The Board has restored a 20 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis with lumbar spine disability, effective June 13, 2023, as the reduction was improper due to lack of sustained material improvement under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances due to lack of evidence showing that the use of his lumbar spine brace, right ankle brace, or skin cream caused wear and tear on his clothing.

The Veteran's back brace caused wear and tear on his clothing, but he does not have a service-connected elbow disability or skin condition requiring the use of topical steroid cream. The Board has granted an annual clothing allowance for the back brace in 2020.

The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for a TDIU from May 1, 2017 is granted.

The Board denied service connection for cataracts, finding no in-service symptoms or diagnosis of the condition and no link to the service-connected heart disability. Service connection was also denied for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and IVDS due to lack of evidence of a chronic injury during service.,A higher initial disability rating for the heart disability from August 18, 2022, was already adjudicated in this decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating in excess of 10 percent for his bilateral foot disorder is being remanded due to pre-decisional errors and the need to consider multiple diagnoses, their service connection, and whether they can be separately rated.