Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis has been granted.,The claims for service connection for left knee and left shoulder conditions have been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding the August 2019 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar degenerative arthritis is related to his active duty service and grants the claim.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for the service-connected right knee limitation of flexion is dismissed as he requested withdrawal of his appeal at a December 2022 Board hearing.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left foot degenerative arthritis, and right foot degenerative arthritis. The Board found that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Appellant's military service.

The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain all relevant medical records and failed to provide an adequate VA examination for the Veteran's lumbar spine and right hip conditions. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, finding that his symptoms were noted during service and persisted after discharge.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including extension limitation and instability, is rated at 10 percent. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for meniscal residuals.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeal of his service connection claim for right wrist strain with osteoarthritis before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant were denied as he does not meet the eligibility criteria due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for sinusitis is denied. The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, effective September 16, 2021, is granted. The case is remanded for further consideration of the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the low back is rated at 40 percent, but no higher, effective September 11, 2006.,An increased rating of 40 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity from February 20, 2019 forward has been granted.,An increased rating of 40 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity from February 20, 2019 forward has also been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, which meets the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right hip osteoarthritis, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to develop evidence needed for a TDIU claim, including information about the Veteran's educational and occupational background.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including history of ACL, joint osteoarthritis and meniscus tear, is granted with a 10 percent rating for the entire appeal period from January 11, 2018, to the present.

The Veteran's TDIU claim has been dismissed because his combined rating is now at 100% due to service-connected disabilities, making the TDIU claim moot.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that his current condition is related to his in-service duties and injuries.

The Veteran's right shoulder osteoarthritis is granted a 30 percent rating since September 14, 2021. However, the left shoulder osteoarthritis remains denied.,An increased rating for residuals of a myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various knee and ankle conditions, as well as degenerative arthritis of the spine with spondylolisthesis, were denied. The evidence did not show that any of these conditions warranted a rating in excess of 10 percent.