Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Board denied service connection for right ankle osteoarthritis, left ankle disorder, right knee condition, and neck condition due to lack of evidence showing a chronic disability in service or continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, as well as the Veteran's claim of secondary OSA to his PTSD. The case is remanded for an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's OSA is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy of the left upper extremity, hand, foot and mouth disease, and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The left and right knee disabilities were denied as not incurred during or caused by his period of active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current condition and service.

The Veteran's right hip osteoarthritis and left hip degenerative arthritis are granted as service-connected. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU based on his left hip disability.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for left knee strain is dismissed due to a procedural defect.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee condition. The VA must seek an additional opinion that considers the impact of obesity on the Veteran's right knee.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder and left shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service shoulder pain.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied. The right hip condition claim has been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and bilateral pes planus conditions prior to December 22, 2020.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis status-post meniscal surgery was granted with an effective date of January 2, 1988.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (major depressive disorder, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and left knee condition) prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since he last worked full time in May 2016. The Board finds that his TDIU claim is granted since October 31, 2017.

The Veteran's appeals for various disability ratings and benefits have been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates for his bilateral knee osteoarthritis, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, and left ankle strain. The criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent have not been met for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder cuff arthropathy, status post right shoulder surgery, osteoarthritis of right glenohumeral, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee pain due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding whether his current condition is related to active service. The case will be returned for further review and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's left knee, right knee, and back disabilities are all granted service connection.,An effective date of November 4, 2017, is granted for the 10% rating increase for a painful surgical thyroid scar.

The Veteran's spine disability was reduced from 20% to 10%, and his right lower extremity radiculopathy was also reduced from 20% to 10%. The reduction in the rating for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the spine is granted, but a higher rating is denied. The reduction in the rating for right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy (sciatic) is also granted.