Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, including coronary artery disease (CAD), and right and left foot disabilities, including osteoarthritis, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee osteoarthritis prior to September 15, 2014, for an addendum retrospective opinion that complies with Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea and back disability, preclude his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from March 19, 2025.

The Board remands the claim for an adequate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any right foot disability, including consideration of bilateral pes planus.

The Board granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and assigned an initial disability rating of 10 percent, but no higher, prior to March 17, 2017 for status post right thumb reconstructive surgery.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than May 26, 2016, for a separate rating for right knee instability and left knee instability. The claims for higher ratings based on limitation of motion and instability of the knees, separate ratings for meniscus conditions of the knees, and secondary service connection claims were remanded.

The Board granted restoration of a 40% rating for osteoarthritis of the left knee, effective July 1, 2009, and denied an increased rating in excess of 40% for the same condition as well as entitlement to TDIU.

The appeal for an increased disability rating in excess of 70 percent from June 4, 2015, to July 12, 2022, for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with persistent depressive disorder was denied.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for multiple issues, including the disability ratings and TDIU claim.

The veteran was granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent, but no higher, from December 26, 2017, for right lower extremity (RLE) sciatica.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from March 23, 2011 to May 10, 2022, excluding the period of full-time employment from August 5, 2021 to December 4, 2021. The claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities were denied.

The Board denied a rating higher than 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, which includes Baker's cyst, strain, and degenerative arthritis.

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.