Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board remands the issues of service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders and musculoskeletal problems, as additional evidence has not been considered by the agency of original jurisdiction.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and right upper extremity ulnar neuropathy, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions. The claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for tinnitus were denied.

The appeal was dismissed due to an improper concurrent election of review options.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and right knee osteoarthritis with Baker's cyst to obtain an adequate VA examination addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and spinal stenosis of the cervical spine to obtain new medical opinions addressing specific issues raised by the Veteran.

The Board remands the claims for further development to correct a duty to assist error related to an August 2023 examination report that did not consider the ameliorative effects of medication when evaluating the current nature and severity of the right knee disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for several foot, hip, neck, and shoulder disabilities but granted service connection for right and left shoulder strains with impingement syndrome and degenerative arthritis.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the Veteran's radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, as well as a scar on her right knee. However, it denied earlier effective dates for her back and right knee conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the back disability prior to November 3, 2021.

The Board denied initial disability ratings in excess of the assigned percentages for various conditions, granted a 20 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy and a 10 percent rating for dry eye syndrome, and remanded several claims for further development.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a headache disability and a lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence does not support the presence of these conditions during or shortly after service.

The appeal to reduce the Veteran's back disability rating from 20 percent disabling to 10 percent was dismissed as it was not ripe for appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial ratings, finding that the evidence did not support an earlier date of entitlement or a higher rating.

The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for vertigo, major depression/anxiety condition, and degenerative arthritis of both hands to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left knee joint osteoarthritis and patellofemoral pain syndrome were denied as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board granted an effective date of June 15, 2021, for a 40 percent evaluation for the chronic orthopedic symptoms of lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease (DDD), and granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) effective October 6, 2023.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings for his right ankle condition, right knee patellar chondromalacia, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for right ankle degenerative arthritis and right foot plantar fasciitis, acquired pes cavus (claw foot) and degenerative arthritis based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service.