Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection for the right elbow and increased ratings for the neck. The Veteran's appeal of hearing loss is denied as his puretone thresholds do not meet VA criteria for a disability. The claims for increased ratings for the right shoulder and feet, as well as sinusitis with headaches, are remanded due to lack of proper procedural steps.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability evaluations for her service-connected left knee and back disabilities have been denied. The evidence does not support the assignment of a higher evaluation based on the current criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new examination to assess his ability to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that further action is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The claims are being remanded to obtain updated medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions, as well as additional pertinent records from VA and private sources.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 20 percent for his left and right ankle disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of ankylosis or other conditions that would warrant higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his service and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatica were denied. The effective date was not established as the issues are related to the current disability status.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, characterized by a labral tear and osteoarthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 5201. The evidence does not support an increase in the rating beyond this level.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current left knee tricompartmental osteoarthris and right knee tricompartmental osteoarthritis are related to service, with the right knee disorder being aggravated by his now service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for status post left fourth finger fracture with open reduction internal fixation has been withdrawn. The remaining issues of increased ratings for back, neck, cubital tunnel syndrome, hypertension, and migraine headaches are remanded.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected right knee disabilities, effective from January 29, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his cervical spine, right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities were denied. The current ratings of 20 percent each are maintained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left tibial fracture, status post ORIF with retained hardware, does not meet the criteria for a compensable initial evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for TMJ and hypopigmentation of the hands following wart removal, but granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the hips with a 10 percent evaluation. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the hips was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment for which he would otherwise be qualified.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right foot injury but denied the claim as there is no evidence that the current condition is related to the in-service injury.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability of the back that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service, nor does he have a current disability of the back that was caused by, or aggravated by, a service-connected disability.