Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle osteoarthritis and hallux valgus of the left foot are service-connected, with no disputes regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee disability was denied, as the evidence did not show any additional limitation in range of motion or instability beyond what is contemplated by a 10% rating. The service connection claim for low back disability was also denied due to lack of probative evidence linking it to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right knee and left knee conditions, as well as her ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to these disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board after the examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis with patellofemoral chondromalacia, status-post surgeries, is related to her military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the propriety of the disability ratings assigned for her service-connected lumbar spine and left leg conditions.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis has been rated as 10 percent disabling, with separate ratings for instability and removal of meniscus. The Veteran's left hand disorder claim was withdrawn by the Veteran.,A rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted for chronic lumbar strain.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine has not met the criteria for a higher initial evaluation.,The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia has been manifested by persistently recurring epigastric distress, pyrosis (heartburn), reflux, regurgitation, and nausea. However, it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating as there is no evidence of dysphagia, substernal pain or pain in the arm/shoulder, weight loss, hematemesis, melena, or anemia.,The Veteran's psoriasis has not covered more than five percent of his entire body and less than five percent of exposed areas. Therefore, it does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for scoliosis, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease that led to these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis and lateral instability, as well as his left knee osteoarthritis and lateral instability, are all rated at the lowest possible compensable levels. The Board found that there was no evidence of limitation of motion to a non-compensable degree in any knee joint.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee condition, diagnosed as osteoarthritis status-post total knee replacement, was not shown to be related to his military service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that it resulted from injury during military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his lumbosacral spine and right knee disabilities were granted, but the rating for his lumbosacral spine was found to be inadequate.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected right and left knee disabilities. The decision also notes that reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis of the knees, is not related to his military service. The examiner concluded that the condition was less likely than not incurred in or caused by a right knee injury during active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability alone rendered him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's hip disability was not manifest during active service and did not develop or be aggravated as a result of service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding in favor of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including gastroesophageal disability, tension headache disability, osteoarthritis of the thoracic and lumbar spine, bilateral plantar fasciitis with degenerative changes at the first metatarsophalangeal joint, cervical strain with degenerative joint and disc disease, left knee orthopedic disability, left elbow nerve disability, and tinnitus, meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, degenerative arthritis/disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and degenerative arthritis/disc disease of the cervical spine are being remanded due to a failure to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) after February 2015 examinations.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by osteoarthritis and osteochondritis dissecans, was manifested by flexion of the knee to no less than 90 degrees with painful motion. The Board determined that a rating in excess of 10 percent for this condition is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The case is now remanded to consider entitlement to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.