Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board remands the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and ensuring substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board remands the issues of an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease, cervical spine prior to December 10, 2014, due to a failure by the VA examiner to provide a retrospective opinion that complies with the Board's remand instructions.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability.

The Board granted service connection for fibromyalgia and denied service connection for PTSD, while remanding the issue of a cervical spine disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, radiculopathy of both femoral and sciatic nerves, tension headaches, residual scarring, and PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The other claims were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee DJD, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, psoriasis, acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and various other injuries and conditions claimed by the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for a right ankle condition, left ankle condition, and right hip strain based on the Veteran's in-service fall injury.

The Board denied service connection for right knee strain with joint osteoarthritis, left knee strain with joint osteoarthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea as the evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee degenerative joint disease (status post total knee replacement), degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine (status post cervical surgery), and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine (status post lumbar surgery) based on evidence that these conditions had their onset during active service.

The Board denied service connection for colon cancer, skin cancer, and prostate cancer. The Veteran was granted a 20% rating for right knee osteoarthritis status post meniscectomy with instability or subluxation and a 10% rating for a right knee scar.

The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including tinnitus, traumatic brain injury, post-concussion migraines, peripheral vestibular disorder, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome thoracolumbar spine, lumbar right side sciatic nerve radiculopathy, lumbar left side sciatic nerve radiculopathy, cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, and cervical right upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the back and a compensable evaluation for migraine headaches prior to May 3, 2024, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for status post lumbar surgeries with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, as the additional disabilities were not a reasonably foreseeable result of the VA medical care.

The Board granted an effective date of October 1, 1973, for the award of service connection for a lumbar spine disability but remanded the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to April 4, 2022, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.

The Board granted service connection for right and left hallux valgus, right and left femoral acetabular impingement syndrome, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee strain, cervical strain, right shoulder strain, and dyspnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine and sleep apnea.

The veteran withdrew the appeals for increased disability ratings, and the claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to preclude his participation in any regular substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis with metatarsalgia is granted a rating of more than 10 percent, and the claims for initial ratings for left hip conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was granted a rating of 100 percent effective April 10, 2018, due to the severity of his symptoms.