Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The appeal of entitlement to service connection for left hip osteoarthritis, claimed as left hip fracture residuals, is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability.

The veteran was granted a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective August 7, 2023, and the Board remanded issues related to increased evaluations for degenerative arthritis of the spine and TDIU prior to January 30, 2017.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right lower extremity (RLE) sciatic nerve radiculopathy from March 1, 2020, to August 4, 2020, and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with stenosis during the same period. The Board also denied other claims including service connection for residuals of head injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), an initial compensable rating for posterior trunk scar, and effective dates prior to November 1, 2020, for separate ratings for sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, except for an earlier effective date of November 10, 2020, for service connection for GERD.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, as well as a 20% rating for cervical spine degenerative arthritis. The claims for increased ratings for upper extremity radiculopathy were denied.

The Board denied service connection for low back pain, left and right sciatic radicular pain, bilateral tinea pedis, and a compensable rating for chronic headaches due to the lack of evidence supporting an etiological relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right hip and osteitis pubis to correct duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal.

The Board granted increased ratings of 30 percent for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and spinal fusion, right wrist strain, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as of July 15, 2021. The PTSD claim was remanded.

The Board denied a rating greater than 70 percent for generalized anxiety disorder with depressive features and granted entitlement to TDIU. The left shoulder condition was remanded for further examination.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for patellar instability of the left and right knees, as well as a 10 percent rating for limitation of flexion of the left knee from January 3, 2023. The claims for earlier effective dates were denied.

The Board granted service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis status post meniscal repair and left knee degenerative arthritis, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for increased ratings and service connection, resulting in the dismissal of all appeals.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date for total disability based on individual unemployability, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or an earlier effective date.

The appeal of the proposed reduction in the disability rating for service-connected left and right knee degenerative arthritis is dismissed as a matter of law.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct an error in providing notice of the right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Board granted service connection for left knee patellofemoral compartment arthritis and right knee joint osteoarthritis and patellofemoral pain syndrome, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The appeal for higher ratings of sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies was dismissed, while the claims for service connection of degenerative arthritis and avascular necrosis of both hips were remanded.

The Board denied entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for gastrointestinal problems and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the back. The claims for other conditions were remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for adjustment disorder with anxiety, depression, cannabis use disorder, and alcohol use disorder and a rating of 40 percent for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity secondary to cervicalgia with degenerative arthritis and IVDS.