Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring additional development and medical opinions regarding service connection for back disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot disability, right knee degenerative arthritis with patella tendonitis, and left knee degenerative arthritis with patella tendonitis. The decision is based on the Veteran's consistent reports of pain during service and post-service, as well as the absence of any intervening injuries or medical evidence contradicting his claims.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of February 4, 2021, based on his service-connected disabilities. His combined disability rating at that time was 70 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, status post left hip replacement, and osteoarthritis of the right hip. The Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative arthritis are granted as service-connected.,Right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are also granted as secondary to the service-connected lumbar spine disorders.,Service connection for migraines is remanded due to a lack of opinion on their relationship to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis, right knee joint, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for cervical strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine and degenerative disk disease was denied.,Service connection was granted for right upper extremity radiculopathy and left upper extremity radiculopathy as associated neurologic abnormalities of the service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating of his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on three hip and back conditions was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's left and right knee degenerative arthritis are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability within the meaning of VA regulations. The claims for increased evaluations of his left and right knee disabilities are remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 10 percent prior to September 26, 2020 and denied for a higher rating. Since September 26, 2020, the disability remains rated at 10 percent and also denied for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and remanded the issue of service connection for plantar fasciitis, other than pes planus. The Veteran's claim for aggravation of her service-connected disabilities due to bilateral pes planus is also pending.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disorder.

The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of August 15, 2008 for both TDIU and DEA benefits due to service-connected disabilities including lumbar spinal degeneration, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right shoulder degenerative arthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's active-duty service caused his body to go through great amounts of stress, which was especially hard on his joints.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee Osgood-Schlatter disease was denied, as the evidence did not show limitation of flexion to 30 degrees or fewer.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for MDD was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inconsistencies in the rating decisions and need for further examination to determine the current severity of his left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to obtain an addendum. The Veteran's right knee disability is being examined again to determine if it is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date are being remanded due to the need to correct duty-to-assist errors.,A retrospective opinion is needed regarding the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's migraine headaches prior to June 22, 2017.