Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back condition is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from April 16, 2003. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether his service-connected disabilities alone precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment on an extraschedular basis effective April 16, 2003.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU prior to June 11, 2015. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence was against a finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination for his lumbosacral spine traumatic arthritis and an SOC regarding the restoration of a 10 percent rating for osteoarthritis of the right thumb.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left foot disability, including neuropathy and other related conditions, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current diagnoses and his period of active service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective May 24, 2017. The left knee disability remains rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent for osteoarthritis, and he is granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the ankles, edema of the lower extremities, gout and/or gouty arthritis, and a right ankle sprain. The evidence does not support these claims.

The Board denied a higher evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of osteoarthritis and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are related to his active service, including a one-time injury during service. As such, the criteria for presumptive service connection have been met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral knee disabilities. The claims will be readjudicated after all relevant evidence has been considered.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability has been rated at 30 percent since January 16, 2014. The current rating is appropriate as the evidence shows limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a combined rating in excess of 30 percent. The issue of entitlement to TDIU was also remanded as it is unclear whether the Veteran meets the threshold requirements for schedular TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional evidentiary development, including a VA SMP aid and attendance/housebound examination. The Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound will be assessed based on his current disabilities.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, including a rotator cuff tear and osteoarthritis, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. Osteoarthritis is also not presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including residuals of fistula surgery and osteoarthritis, as well as his skin disorder (including seborrheic keratosis and actinic keratosis), are all found to be related to service. The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disabilities are not etiologically related to his military service and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral hip disabilities are not proximately due to or worsened in severity beyond normal progression of the respective disease by the service-connected cavus disease of the feet.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there is not sufficient evidence to establish a causal link between his current osteoarthritis and his in-service injury.