Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 40 percent evaluation for left knee strain with degenerative arthritis is granted. The appeal for an increased rating in excess of 40 percent and a separate rating for instability are denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 10 percent from April 15, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and at 20 percent from August 12, 2016, forward.,Both periods of increased rating were denied.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from August 29, 2018 to February 12, 2021 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his lumbar strain, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and diabetes mellitus.

Service connection granted for right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder osteoarthritis.,Service connection denied for a left rotator cuff condition (claimed as shoulder/arm arthritis), vision loss, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from June 1, 2011, to February 13, 2012, and from August 1, 2013, to December 21, 2016, due to his service-connected bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities and reactive airway disease due to incomplete development. The Veteran is also no longer seeking TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, including lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis, is related to his military service. After considering all evidence of record, the Board finds that reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran has been resolved.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, left shoulder, and right shoulder disorders due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during active service or are related to in-service injuries.,Specifically, the VA examiners found no chronicity of the claimed right ankle instability with sinus tarsi syndrome or left shoulder degenerative arthritis and degenerative joint disease with tendinosis prior to their diagnoses.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to May 9, 2022.

The Board has determined that the most recent VA examinations are inadequate and remands for further examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The claims will be readjudicated after obtaining any outstanding relevant records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the spine, left ankle post traumatic tendonitis, gastritis with gastroesophageal reflux disease, dermatitis, and scar, residual of spine surgery have all been denied.,Specifically, the Veteran's back disability was rated at 10 percent prior to September 22, 2020, and at 20 percent from that date onwards.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, persistent depressive disorder with panic disorder without agoraphobia, and radiculopathy, sciatica, right and left lower extremities have been reopened.,Service connection has been granted for degenerative arthritis spine with intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of his cervical spine, right shoulder, left hip, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The effective dates remain at September 12, 2011.

The Veteran's right knee disability, GERD, acquired mental health condition (excluding PTSD), and bilateral pes planus with bilateral plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis have been granted service connection. The Veteran's hernia, left side, groin muscle disability, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, left ear injury, throat gland disability, and ear wart disability have not been established as service-connected.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition and a bilateral foot condition, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus to service or any other compensable conditions.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral hearing loss, left knee degenerative arthritis, and hip disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to any compensable rating for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring further medical opinion and development.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was received on November 10, 2019. The Board found that an earlier effective date of November 10, 2019, but no earlier, is warranted as it is the earliest effective date available at law under the facts of this case.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are found to be the proximate cause of his intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)/degenerative arthritis of the spine/spinal stenosis and left hip degenerative arthritis, thus granting service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.