Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues related to increased ratings for various knee, ankle, elbow, and elbow impairment conditions prior to the issuance of a decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbosacral strain with osteoarthritis.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, specifically bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. His combined disability rating meets the criteria for a TDIU as of March 22, 2017.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's service and his current low back disability, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for his lumbar spine disability was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to March 17, 2015. After that date, he received a 40% rating which is also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left hip osteoarthritis and total left hip replacement, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right hip and right knee disabilities are not related to his active service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for osteoarthritis, thoracolumbar spine and a left leg disorder including numbness as secondary to the back condition have been denied. His hearing loss claim remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the representative indicating a desire to withdraw all issues related to TDIU prior to January 20, 2009 and evaluations for his knee and asthma.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 30, 2014.

The Veteran's low back condition, bilateral knee conditions, and muscle condition were not shown to be related to his period of honorable active duty service.,There is no evidence of a current disability for hypertension or an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD).

The Veteran's back disability, characterized by pain and limited motion, has been rated at 20 percent since March 27, 2013. The current rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on limitation of motion.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the effective date for service connection of PTSD could not be earlier than September 26, 2008.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disorder. The TDIU issue is inextricably intertwined and will be addressed after the rating assignment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected cervical spine disorder. The TDIU claim will also be deferred until this matter is resolved.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis and bilateral shoulder peripheral neuropathy are not service-connected.,Service connection for the Veteran's bilateral pterygium is denied as there is no evidence of visual impairment, conjunctivitis, or scarring that would warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition, arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine with L5/S1 facet disease (low back disability), and osteoarthritis of the left hip are related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.