Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2026

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain and related disabilities, including PTSD, are granted effective April 11, 2024. The Veteran also received a 50% rating for his PTSD.

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD, gunshot wound residuals, lumbar spine issues, hypothyroidism, sciatica, hypertension, scars, and other conditions. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, requiring an addendum opinion from a clinician regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical strain and lumbar spine conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability resulting from service-connected disabilities was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular or extraschedular criteria for TDIU as his mental health conditions, rather than his service-connected disabilities, were the primary cause of his inability to secure or maintain gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, as secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis and lumbar disc displacement. The remand is required due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is granted service connection, while his left knee disability is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for a LEFT shoulder disability was denied, but he received a separate, additional 10 percent rating for LEFT shoulder AC joint osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis is denied as there is no evidence of current sinusitis. The appeal for increased evaluations for his hip disabilities and right hand disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,Service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, and right hand disorder is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for left ankle tendinitis, right ankle tendinitis, sleep apnea, and both knee conditions are denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be linked to these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is denied because the medical records do not establish continuity of care from service.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, nerve impairment of the right upper extremity, and nerve impairment of the left upper extremity are presumed to have begun during service. The Board is remanding these issues for further development.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right hand disorder, which was denied due to lack of evidence. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and ratings have been dismissed due to procedural deficiencies in the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) filed by his representative.

The appeal for a compensable disability rating for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is dismissed due to untimeliness of the Notice of Disagreement.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction prior to February 12, 2025, is denied. The Veteran's claim is remanded as there was no examination addressing his left ankle degenerative arthritis and whether it could be a MUCMI or aggravated by his left knee condition.,The appeal of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle prior to February 12, 2025, is remanded due to lack of an adequate VA opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS is granted a 20 percent disability evaluation for the entire rating period on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to February 4, 2023.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, left hip arthritis, right hip arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee degenerative arthritis. The conditions are deemed to be directly related to the Veteran's parachute jumps during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for Dupuytren's contracture and degenerative arthritis of the right hand, but remanded the issue of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being remanded for further development to determine its nature and etiology, including consideration of in-service events and symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right shoulder disability are all rated at the highest possible initial rating of 40 percent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, including osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine. The Board found that there was no evidence to support direct service connection but established continuity and chronicity under VA regulations.