Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board denied increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but remanded claims for higher ratings of the knee arthroplasties, hip bursitis, lumbar spine disability, and TDIU.

The appeal for a higher disability rating for right ankle degenerative arthritis under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) system is dismissed due to procedural defects in how the appeal was docketed.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 5, 2021 for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration.

The Board granted service connection for left hip joint replacement with degenerative arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected lumbosacral strain with IVDS.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for left ankle degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and plantar fasciitis, bilateral feet.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy and denied a higher initial rating for right wrist surgery residual pain. The back disability claim was remanded for further examination.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling an examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to address the Veteran's lay reports of an ongoing left leg condition since service.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates related to various knee conditions, a scar, special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria, and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board remands the claims for a VA examination to determine the current severity of the service-connected scars and to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of various disabilities, including left hand, foot, knee, right hand, ankle, high blood pressure, head injury, depression, and sleep apnea.

The Board restored the 40 percent disability rating for the back disability and denied a higher rating.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder, ED, left wrist disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and thoracolumbar spine disorder, to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty (AD), active duty for training (ADT), and inactive duty for training (IDT) and to obtain additional evidence regarding the claimed in-service stressors.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded claims for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis, and asthma.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for sciatic nerve conditions and knee osteoarthritis, finding that the current disability levels did not warrant higher ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis with patellar chondromalacia, as he does not have veteran status for VA compensation purposes.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected right little finger disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection for the claimed conditions.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for right knee osteoarthritis to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's obesity, caused by his service-connected disabilities, has aggravated his right knee osteoarthritis.

The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability for the entire period on appeal, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities were denied due to a failure to appear for a scheduled VA examination without providing good cause.