Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine has not been shown to warrant a rating higher than 10 percent prior to April 21, 2010.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, which included degenerative arthritis and bilateral L4 sciatic nerve involvement, was rated at 20 percent prior to May 11, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, hypertension, gynecomastia, bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, peripheral vascular disease (claimed as a bilateral leg condition), degenerative osteoarthritis at L3-4 (claimed as low back pain), left carotid occlusion, and bilateral hand injury have all been denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any complaints or treatment for the claimed conditions. His post-service medical records indicate diagnoses of GERD in 2000, hypertension in 2005, and bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees beginning in 2004. The Board found no causal relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar spine osteoarthritis is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated as 30 percent for recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, and a separate noncompensable rating for limitation of extension. The right knee scar is rated as 20 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 11, 2008 for TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to insufficient evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable solely at that time.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to February 10, 2012 and 20 percent as of that date.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of a chronic back condition in the service medical records observed over many years. The preponderance of the evidence does not support the claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disability, including degenerative arthritis and lumbar strain, is not related to his active military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and compliance with Board's remand directives. The AOJ will schedule appropriate foreign resident examinations, obtain all available records, and review and readjudicate the claims on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disorders are not related to his active service and denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's left ankle osteoarthritis is characterized by pain and limitation of endurance, more nearly approximating moderate limitation of motion than marked limitation of motion. The Board finds the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent are not met.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by pain and stiffness, was rated at 10 percent prior to April 12, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the bilateral hands and diabetes mellitus are service-connected based on direct evidence.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis, effective from March 14, 2017. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and his Vocational Rehabilitation folder. The claims for increased rating and TDIU will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's combined disability rating has been consistently at 80 percent since March 9, 2006. The Board finds that the criteria for a higher rating have not been met.

The Veteran's left elbow disability, including osteoarthritis and radial fracture with internal fixation, is rated as noncompensable for flexion and extension prior to February 23, 2016, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other service connection theory.

The VA determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to his service or service-connected left total knee replacement, and therefore denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral patellofemoral syndrome, bilateral knee strain, and left knee degenerative arthritis are etiologically related to his period of active service and to his service-connected bilateral shin splints. As such, the criteria for service connection have been met.