Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The appellant withdrew his appeal for right knee osteoarthritis, and the Board has dismissed it.

The Veteran's current low back condition is at least as likely as not related to his fall on a rail while in service, and the Board finds him entitled to service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right hip osteoarthritis, status-post total hip replacement, finding that it did not manifest during or within one year of separation from service and is not otherwise related to any incident of active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, right lower extremity sciatica pain, and left lower extremity sciatica pain. The appeal was not granted as the Veteran did not continuously pursue his claim within one year of the April 2019 decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected left and right knee degenerative arthritis status post arthroscopies are being remanded due to a failure to consider the evidence of record regarding pain with weight-bearing.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected bilateral hearing loss warranted a compensable rating.,The Board found that the Veteran's right and left shoulder tendonitis, and right and left knee osteoarthritis are related to service, including the March 2009 fall during military training.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis, including degenerative arthritis, is related to his service-connected right hip condition and grants service connection for this condition as secondary.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine including bilateral sacroiliitis with sclerosis of the sacroiliac joints was denied. The Board has determined that an updated VA examination is needed to properly rate this disability, specifically whether separate ratings are warranted for associated neurological disability (radiculopathy).

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an upper back/neck condition and right knee osteoarthritis and osteomalacia due to new evidence received after the initial decision. The Veteran's attorney raised a secondary service connection theory, but this cannot be considered as a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis (claimed as lumbar sprain) has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for degenerative arthritis left knee with strain and limitation of extension prior to January 21, 2023, is denied. The Veteran's initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis left knee with strain and painful motion/limitation of flexion prior to January 21, 2023, is also denied.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for degenerative arthritis left knee with strain and limitation of extension prior to January 21, 2023, is denied. The Veteran's initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis left knee with strain and painful motion/limitation of flexion prior to January 21, 2023, is also denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, left knee osteoarthritis, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to new and relevant evidence submitted since previous rating decisions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in a February 2019 rating decision. The appeal was dismissed because the Veteran did not file a proper Notice of Disagreement using VA Form 21-0958, which is required under VA's legacy review system.

The Board has dismissed all appeals for ratings in excess of 20 percent for radiculopathy, right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve, and intervertebral disc syndrome with spinal stenosis and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hand degenerative arthritis due to a lack of adequate rationale in the VA examination report and the need for an addendum opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, instability, and total knee replacement, left knee scar, right-hand degenerative arthritis disability, left-hand osteoarthritis disability, and lumbosacral strain with osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine. The claims for left shoulder disability, higher evaluations for hip disabilities, and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's left wrist sprain with de Quervain's syndrome and degenerative arthritis, as well as his left ankle traumatic arthritis. The decision on compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of individual unemployability prior to January 29, 2018. The Board has determined that he meets the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities but needs further review by the Director, Compensation Service due to the need for an extraschedular evaluation.