Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grants of a noncompensable disability rating for left hip limitation of extension, a 20 percent disability rating for left hip limitation of flexion, and a 20 percent disability rating for left hip degenerative arthritis, but denied an earlier effective date for service connection for a painful right hip scar.

The Board granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and right knee osteoarthritis, secondary to the service-connected left knee disability. The claims for hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and polyneuropathy were remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and spinal stenosis based on the Veteran's in-service back injury and chronicity of symptoms.

The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis on the right and left foot, left and right ankle strain, left and right knee osteoarthritis, and left and right hip strain, all secondary to service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities with weight gain/obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board remands the claims for a back disability rating and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities for further development, specifically to determine the severity of the Veteran's low back symptoms while discounting the ameliorative effects of medication.

The appeals related to the reduction of ratings and duty to assist errors for right knee conditions were dismissed due to procedural issues.

The Board denied ratings in excess of 30 percent for bilateral foot disability, a rating in excess of 30 percent for left knee disability, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for lung disability. However, it granted an effective date of December 17, 2012, but no earlier, for the award service connection for limitation of extension of the left knee and left knee scar, and granted TDIU from January 17, 2013 to November 5, 2018.

The Board granted an initial rating of 10 percent for right and left knee strain with degenerative arthritis, but remanded the claims for separate ratings based on instability and/or locking.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent from May 11, 2017 prior to February 29, 2024, and in excess of 40 percent from February 29, 2024 for a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, and left knee conditions due to a need for additional evidence through VA examinations.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left shoulder strain, and osteoarthritis of the left hip status post left hip replacement based on a nexus to the Veteran's military service as a Navy SEAL.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disability to obtain a new medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and spondylosis was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee chondromalacia with strain.

The Board granted service connection for left ankle instability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability and hypertension, but denied increased ratings for the left ankle disability and other forms of arthritis.

The Board granted an increased 30 percent rating for both the RIGHT and LEFT knee conditions based on limitation of FLEXION, but denied any increase in rating or earlier effective date for limitation of EXTENSION.

The Board remands the claims for service connection of bilateral knee disabilities and entitlement to TDIU due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in obtaining an adequate medical opinion.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee limitation of motion but granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage, and remanded service connection for bilateral lower extremity lymphedema.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for limitation of flexion and in excess of 10 percent for limitation of extension of the right knee due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's condition.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and IVDS, left hip osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board granted service connection for rotator cuff tendonitis of the left shoulder, right knee strain, right ankle strain, and sinusitis. The appeal was denied for a rating in excess of 10 percent for chronic lumbar spine sprain associated with degenerative arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded service connection claims.