Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. An updated VA examination is needed for the spine and radiculopathy, and the TDIU claim must be adjudicated.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip disabilities due to potential inextricably intertwined issues and a failure to address a secondary service connection theory.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder, diagnosed as rotator cuff tendinopathy, subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, is granted service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran's back disability, right leg shin splints, left leg shin splints, left shoulder disorder, and bilateral foot disorder are not service connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the retrospective opinion regarding the degree of functional loss during flare-ups and repetitive use over time.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 5, 2016. The Board granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for lumbar DDD and bilateral sacroiliac osteoarthritis is granted, effective from April 22, 2015. A rating of at least 40 percent for a low back disability is also granted.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is currently rated at 10 percent disabling. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating as there was no limitation in forward flexion, muscle spasms or guarding, or ankylosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee, left ankle, right ankle, left hip, and right hip osteoarthritis due to a lack of adequate examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his in-service injury and his current condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative joint and disc disease, osteoarthritis of the right hand second digit and thumb, asthma, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, hypertension, hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), prostate cancer with prostatectomy, bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, right thigh residual scar, right index finger scar, and abdomen scar, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating of 30 percent disabling, but no higher, for service-connected chronic left ankle instability with degenerative arthritis is granted. The claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for duodenal ulcer are remanded due to outstanding private medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left ankle conditions, finding that they are related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the spine, as well as left lower extremity radiculopathy, have been granted.,Service connection is established for degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine, cervical spine, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee, left knee, right foot, left foot, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and resulting obesity.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected back disability and has remanded to determine appropriate ratings for lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his left hip and right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left hip open reduction internal fixation with osteoarthritis, or compensable ratings for abduction, adduction, or limitation of motion of the left hip. A noncompensable rating was assigned for his left thigh scar.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the left shoulder likely began during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis due to the Veteran's death.