Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to June 16, 2014, as the evidence did not show that he was precluded from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and a rating of 30 percent for left knee joint instability, while remanding other issues.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining outstanding Social Security Administration records.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability, diagnosed as status post cervical spine surgical procedure with degenerative arthritis, spinal stenosis, and radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremities.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction, but granted an increased rating of 40 percent for a low back disability (intervertebral disc syndrome) and 20 percent for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD with TBI and an earlier effective date of January 11, 2016, but no earlier, for left knee limitation of extension with joint osteoarthritis.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is due to in-service noise exposure. The low back disability claim was remanded for further development.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of June 9, 2019, for service connection of bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) in both hands or fingers as there was no current diagnosis of the condition during the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for misaligned spine/degenerative arthritis of the spine before a decision was made.

The Board granted service connection for a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is directly related to his active military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left knee disabilities to correct pre-decisional errors in the duty to assist.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis due to a clear and unmistakable error in a July 1981 rating decision.

The Board dismissed the appeals for earlier effective dates related to various left and right hip, knee, shoulder, and other conditions as they were freestanding claims not continuously pursued from the initial rating decisions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for nephrolithiasis and service connection for vertigo, chronic fatigue syndrome, right shoulder osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and menopause, granted an increased disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD from April 29, 2023, and remanded claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left wrist carpal tunnel, and bilateral flat feet.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including APD, respiratory insufficiency, RHL, and cervical and upper extremity radiculopathy, as well as a compensable rating for LHL. The claims were not granted.

The Board granted an effective date of June 29, 2023 for the grant of service connection for degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome and radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative disc disease (DDD) with degenerative arthritis and retrolisthesis from February 16, 2021. Other claims were denied.

The Board denied service connection for a left hand, right hand, left ankle, right ankle, left knee, right knee, and migraine headache disorders as there was no evidence of current disabilities or symptoms during the period on appeal.