Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to March 18, 2011.

The Veteran does not have a bilateral shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, or chronic anaphylactic reaction to bee sting due to service. His claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support service connection for schizophrenia, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, or osteoarthritis of the left knee. The Veteran's claims are denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date were denied. The Appellant is seeking to appeal these decisions as accrued benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since June 8, 2011.

The Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine, right hand, and bilateral feet manifested to a degree of 10 percent or more within a year after separation from active service. The Veteran does not have hypertension which had its onset in service or within one year of his discharge from active service, or which is otherwise related to a period of active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right eye, bilateral hip, and right knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service. The preexisting conditions are presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left knee condition and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for further development of evidence, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran seeks an increased rating for his degenerative arthritis, left knee.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the service connection of his left hip disability, including whether it is secondary to or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle and thoracolumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pending issue regarding the offset of disability pay, and other issues remain unresolved.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for his right knee disorder and back disability, finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and are more likely due to natural aging and obesity. The VA examiner opined that the current condition is less likely related to his service-connected neck and back conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining updated treatment records.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a chronic right ankle disability during service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran's current right ankle arthritis does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for vascular impingement, dizziness, and bilateral hip osteoarthritis as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new examination to comply with the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald, and for review of additional evidence added since the February 2013 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a video conference hearing. The issues include seeking a higher rating for PTSD, reopening the claim of hip disorder, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee meniscus tear, chondromalacia of the femoral joint, and degenerative arthritis are related to his service-connected bilateral foot disability. The claim is therefore granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not involve the physical loss or permanent loss of use of his hands or feet, permanent impairment of vision in both eyes to the specified degree necessary for the award of adaptive equipment, scar formation resulting from severe burn injury, or ankylosis of his knees or hips. Therefore, the criteria for entitlement to a certificate of eligibility for specially adaptive automotive equipment or adaptive equipment only have not been met.