Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to military service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right hand disability, including degenerative arthritis in multiple digits, is related to his military service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current right hip disability. The Veteran's claim will be returned to the AOJ after this additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of the issues related to service connection for various conditions, including tinea, bilateral hand arthritis, shoulder bursitis, elbow bursitis, wrist degenerative arthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, lumbar spondylosis, right knee osteoarthritis, and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, a foot disability other than pes planus, and left eye blindness have been denied as the evidence does not support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, have rendered him unable to maintain any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational background.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and the retrieval of relevant medical records.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic hand disorder in service or within one year after separation, and the Veteran's current bilateral hand disability is not related to his active duty service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back and neck disabilities are service-connected as they were incurred during his active military service.,The VA examiner provided multiple addendums to the November 2012 examination, concluding that the Veteran's current diagnoses of DDD of the low back and osteoarthritis of the neck are not related to his in-service activities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including providing the Veteran with a VA examination and ensuring compliance with its April 2014 remand instructions.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic low back pain and lumbar disc disease with degenerative arthritis are rated at 40 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left knee and right fifth finger disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss of use of either foot or hand, and therefore he does not meet the basic eligibility requirements for automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on the right shoulder, left foot plantar fasciitis, and second degree burn to the back have been denied. The claim for service connection for a benign essential tremor of the left hand has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for her right knee and migraine headaches were denied. The Veteran was assigned a 30 percent disability rating for chronic migraines, effective from September 17, 2015.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability or a disability for which service connection is warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to arrange for a Board hearing due to scheduling issues. The Veteran requested a hearing but the initial notice was sent to the wrong representative and rescheduling requests were made.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 60 percent effective July 10, 2013. He was previously rated at 30 percent prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, is related to her active service and grants service connection for this condition.