Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board denied an increased rating for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and PTSD while granting a higher initial disability rating for radiculopathy in the right upper extremity.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle tendonitis, a rating greater than 10 percent for cystic acne, an initial compensable rating for scars associated with cystic acne, and various other conditions. The claims were either denied or remanded.

The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, cervicothoracic pain, residual left foot pain, restless leg syndrome, and degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder. The claim for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for cardiac arrhythmia was denied.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 16, 2020, for the awards of service connection for cervical strain and left upper extremity radiculopathy, but denied earlier effective dates for other lower extremity conditions.

The Board granted an effective date of August 1, 2013, for the award of service connection for various conditions.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis to ensure compliance with the duty to assist, specifically requesting that the Veteran provide authorization for release of records related to her disability benefits from the State of Alabama.

The Board denied a rating higher than 20 percent prior to March 4, 2025, and higher than 40 percent from March 4, 2025, for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis to correct duty to assist errors, including obtaining private medical records and addendum medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The claim for TBI residuals was remanded for further development.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal for increased ratings of cervical spine disability and right upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for a disability rating of 40 percent for bowel obstruction s/p resections with malabsorption syndrome from short gut prior to June 3, 2022. The claims for earlier effective dates for the evaluations of lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical condition, voiding dysfunction, and left knee strain with arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected low back condition.

The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, secondary to service-connected disabilities, effective from September 17, 2018. The Veteran was also granted a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches from September 17, 2018 to January 10, 2020.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as an earlier effective date for a grant of service connection.

The appeal was denied for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the left shoulder, but service connection was granted for right elbow, lateral epicondylitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings at any time during the appeal period.

The veteran withdrew her appeal, stating that she now has a 100 percent combined disability rating.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for right knee medial meniscectomy and degenerative arthritis with limited flexion and right knee meniscal tear residuals with degenerative arthritis with limited extension to correct an error in satisfying VA's duty to assist, as the January 2024 VA examination did not adequately comply with the holdings of Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017).

The Board remands the claims for a new examination to properly assess the severity of the service-connected left knee disability and to address the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left hamstring condition as secondary to the service-connected left knee condition.

The appeal for service connection for tinnitus was withdrawn by the Veteran, and the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis status post meniscal tear and total knee replacement, left lower extremity varicose veins, right lower extremity varicose veins, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as bilateral knee neuropathy), and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as bilateral knee neuropathy) were remanded for further development.