Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating and service connection as they require further development, including a pre-decisional hearing notice and adequate medical examinations.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection of left knee osteoarthritis with limitation of flexion, subluxation and lateral instability, right knee osteoarthritis with limitation of extension, and a 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder (MDD) during the review period.

The Board denied service connection for asbestosis and bilateral hearing loss, and remanded the claim for a low back condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Board remands the claims for an initial increased rating and a compensable rating for left knee conditions to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claim for a medical addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's cervical intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis is related to service and whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, tinea pedis, right knee ACL repair with degenerative arthritis, and a 50 percent evaluation for migraine headaches.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including a right ankle disorder, degenerative arthritis with low back pain, Scheuermann's disease of the lumbar spine, a right shoulder disorder, a left shoulder disorder, tendinitis, and hypogonadism, as there was no evidence of current diagnoses related to these conditions during the appeal period.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder degenerative arthritis and strain, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions as the evidence of record does not support a finding that any of these disabilities are related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left and right knee degenerative arthritis, as well as remanded claims for service connection for a right foot disorder secondary to a left foot disability.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral foot disability, finding that it was aggravated by her service.

The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine, to include IVDS, under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) system is dismissed.

The Veteran was granted SMC based on aid and attendance, but denied SMC based on housebound status. The Veteran's specially adapted housing claim was also granted, while his claims for a special home adaptation grant and an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance were denied.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and right knee meniscal tear and medial collateral ligament tear with degenerative arthritis, but remanded the claims for a headache disorder and sleep apnea (OSA) due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis and herniated disc of the thoracolumbar spine from September 4, 2013, and also granted a total disability evaluation due to individual unemployability (TDIU) from that date.

The Board denied service connection for right-ear hearing loss and an initial compensable disability evaluation for left-ear hearing loss, and remanded the claim for a lumbar-spine disorder.

The Board dismissed both issues of entitlement to service connection for lumbosacral or cervical strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine due to untimely filing.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine, left and right shoulder disabilities, hypertension, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board remands the service connection claim for left knee conditions due to a duty to assist error.

The Board remands the increased rating claims for the Veteran's bilateral knee strain with osteoarthritis with shin splints disability to afford him a new VA examination.