Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the lumbar spine, left shoulder disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since April 27, 2023. Effective as of that date, he is granted a TDIU and SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of four issues related to knee and foot conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's hypertension was denied a compensable rating as the blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a 10% or higher evaluation under Diagnostic Code (DC) 7101.,Service connection for swan neck deformity with degenerative arthritis, left little finger is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding aggravation of the condition during service.

The Veteran's migraine including migraine variants and L5-S1 and multilevel thoracic spine disc disease, degenerative arthritis are granted a 30 percent rating each. The Veteran is not entitled to higher ratings for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and causation of his left shoulder, low back, and neck conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spondylosis with degenerative disc disease, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to service connection. The AOJ is required to obtain a medical opinion regarding direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss or use of his lower extremities, which affects balance and propulsion as to preclude locomotion without assistive devices. Therefore, he is ineligible for specially adapted housing and a special home adaptation grant.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, thus the TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the VA Form 10182 did not specify a specific issue to appeal, and there were no decisions within one year of the form that could be appealed.

The Board has denied service connection for an eating disorder, a head condition, and left knee joint osteoarthritis. The Veteran's current conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left hip osteoarthritis has been denied as new and relevant evidence was not received to warrant readjudication.,Service connection for a lower back condition secondary to right hip total arthroplasty is also denied due to the lack of a causal relationship between the conditions.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for right leg length discrepancy has been denied as there is no evidence of shortening that meets the criteria for a 10% rating.

The Board has remanded multiple cases related to increased ratings and effective dates for various conditions, including a right foot heel fracture, an acquired psychiatric disorder, dermatitis with scarring, degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, distal phalanx fractures, scars from the knee and thumb, and bilateral hearing loss. The appeals also include requests for earlier effective dates for service connection.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis as secondary to right knee tendinopathy with osteoarthritis and for hemorrhoids due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Board has denied service connection for flat feet and OSA, but granted service connection for the Veteran's back condition. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were denied.,Service connection was established for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with thoracic vertebral bodies wedging (back condition).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right hip disabilities (extension, flexion, and degenerative arthritis) are being remanded due to a failure to obtain VA treatment records from July 2016.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right shoulder disability and left hip disability, including osteoarthritis. The lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities have been granted.,The Veteran's right shoulder and left hip disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of any joint other than the lumbar spine, finding no evidence of a current disability in that area. The issue of service connection for a lumbar spine disability is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis and total knee replacement, is due to his service-connected residuals of fracture, distal portion of the left tibia. The Board has granted entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's GERD with residuals of right knee meniscal tear with degenerative arthritis is rated at a 30 percent disability rating, effective from April 9, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis, cervical spine (claimed as neck disability), left knee strain, and right knee strain due to a lack of adequate rationale in the previous VA medical opinions.