Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2026

The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hip and knee conditions, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, and plantar fasciitis, pes planus, and hammer toes are all granted service connection as they are related to his military service.

The appeal of a proposed reduction from 40 percent to 20 percent for degenerative arthritis lumbar spine with spinal stenosis and spinal fusion is dismissed. The case is also remanded for the determination of whether a temporary total rating (TTR) based on need for convalescence following February 4, 2020, lumbar spine surgery is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for right shoulder condition.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, and his service-connected conditions rendered him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation. The effective date is from February 10, 2019, to May 6, 2020.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations.,The Veteran's left knee disability, right knee osteoarthritis, left shoulder osteoarthritis, and right shoulder osteoarthritis have all been rated appropriately based on their severity.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, cervical and lumbar spine conditions, and vertigo, require regular aid and attendance from his wife due to limitations in mobility and cognitive function. The Board has determined that the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance have been met.

The appeal concerning the disability evaluation for pseudofolliculitis barbae and bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee with instability, tinnitus, and right shoulder tendonitis (claimed as tendonitis in the right shoulder) has been granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 12, 2021 for the assignment of a 70 percent disability rating for recurrent major depressive disorder is granted. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot hallux valgus, left foot hallux valgus, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with spinal fusion and a neck condition, finding that these conditions are related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the claims of increased ratings for bilateral knee conditions and service connection for a lumbar spine condition due to inadequate examinations and failure to provide secondary service connection opinions.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is found to be caused by his service-connected right knee disability, and thus he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left knee, right knee, cervical spine, and left ankle degenerative joint diseases have been granted.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings was continuously pursued, and the appellant is eligible to charge agent fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the June 2024 rating decision.

The Board has granted a rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's service-connected low back strain with degenerative arthritis, effective from September 26, 2008. The decision is based on functional limitation equivalent to forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less due to pain and other symptoms.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on his right wrist disability and RSD have been dismissed due to withdrawals by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, cervical spine disability, gastric/duodenal ulcer, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and dislocated semilunar cartilage of the right knee, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since March 22, 2012.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for headaches, painful surgical scar, left chest, hypertension, left elbow degenerative joint disease, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome due to incomplete VA treatment records.,No effective date earlier than specified dates was granted as there is no probative evidence showing the conditions had their onset during service or are otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's left shoulder impingement syndrome with osteoarthritis and lumbosacral strain with mild degenerative disc disease have been remanded for further development.