Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for kidney disease and an increased rating for hearing loss due to untimeliness of the Veteran's appeal, while remanding the claims for service connection for hypertension and a neck disability for further development.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during its pendency.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, denied an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and hypertension, and remanded the claim for increased rating for right knee joint osteoarthritis, limitation of extension.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability but granted service connection for migraine headaches, which are aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for all claims, including those for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for right wrist scapholunate tear with DISI deformity and right shoulder impingement syndrome with degenerative arthritis.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis due to an inadequate VA examination and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board remands the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine and service connection for a left ankle disability, to include as secondary to the service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with cervical spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) and lumbosacral strain. The appeal was denied for facial scars, increased ratings for cervical spine DDD with degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, left knee meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tear with chondrosis, limited flexion, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions due to his failure to attend scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Board granted service connection for right hip strain as it is caused by the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis of the sacroiliac joint. The claims for higher staged ratings and service connection for a right shoulder condition were remanded.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical and thoracolumbar spine based on new evidence associated with the claims file in August 2015.

The Board granted service connection for right hip degenerative arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee arthritis.

The Board remands the matters concerning entitlement to separate ratings for knee instability and increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed due to a untimely Notice of Disagreement.

The Board granted service connection for unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder with alcohol use disorder, moderate, but denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left foot first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative arthritis. The claims for service connection for PTSD, sleep apnea, cervical spine disorder, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right wrist disorder and left wrist disorder were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, including as secondary to left knee disability, and remanded the claim for further development regarding left hip osteoarthritis.

The appeal for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and increased ratings for PTSD and a lumbar spine disability must be dismissed as a matter of law. However, the Veteran is granted a TDIU effective October 17, 2023.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and Paget's disease.

The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine to obtain updated VA treatment records and an opinion addressing the functional impairment associated with the Veteran's back disability.