Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 50 percent disability rating for major depressive disorder with anxiety from August 31, 2019, and denied an effective date prior to August 31, 2020, for the grant of service connection and separate ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for a left knee rating and TDIU due to a need for an addendum opinion that considers the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board remands the claims for higher initial ratings for left knee disabilities and TDIU due to a need for additional medical evidence regarding range of motion findings upon repetitive use over time and during flare-ups.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, while remanding several other claims including lumbar spine disability, lower extremity radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, nasal fracture, hemorrhoids, and insomnia.

The Board remands the claims for further development, specifically to obtain a new examination that complies with Correia v. McDonald and addresses the Veteran's reported flare-ups.

The Board remands the appeal for eligibility under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA's) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to correct an AOJ error in satisfying a regulatory and statutory duty, which has a reasonable possibility of aiding in substantiating the appellant's claim.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain a more thorough VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 13, 2007, for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's service-connected flatfoot/pes planus/plantar fasciitis with osteoarthritis, bilateral feet is granted an initial disability rating of 50 percent.

The Board granted service connection for left knee tendonitis/tendonosis with knee meniscal tear and cartilage fissuring chondrosis, but denied service connection for the other claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a dental disability and remanded the claim for a back disability, as new evidence was received.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for the Veteran's bilateral ankle and right knee disabilities to obtain a medical opinion that discounts any ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis in both the left and right hip as secondary to a service-connected bilateral knee condition, citing no causal link between the conditions.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the bilateral hips as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar degenerative disc disease, but remanded claims for right knee, left knee, and right shoulder disabilities.

The Board remands the issues of increased ratings and effective date for a TDIU due to an inadequate medical examination report.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right and left knee disabilities, tinnitus, and hypertension. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was denied, as were claims for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and gout. Rheumatoid arthritis and a back disability are also being remanded.

The Board granted service connection for left knee enthesopathy, right knee degenerative arthritis, tendinopathy, and tendinitis, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine based on evidence that these conditions are due to service.

The Board remands the issues of increased evaluations for left and right knee disabilities for further development.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for service-connected lumbar and shoulder disabilities due to errors in previous determinations regarding the duty to assist and the consideration of private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and hypertension. The claim for obstructive sleep apnea was remanded.