Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and providing a supplemental VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board found no current diagnosis of a low back disorder related to the Veteran's service and denied his claim for service connection. The right shoulder osteoarthritis was also not granted as it is considered a preexisting condition that did not worsen during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right hip osteoarthritis is not related to his period of service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records related to his claimed alcoholism. The issues of service connection for a low back disability and right knee disability have been granted, but are no longer before the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including epilepsy, lumbar spine arthritis, right knee instability and chondromalacia, do not render her unemployable prior to August 13, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is related to his military service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the Veteran's left knee disability rating from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective May 1, 2009 was improper and restored the prior 20 percent rating. The right knee disability claim remains denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right shoulder and knee disabilities are related to her active service, meeting all elements of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his left wrist disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for diabetes, right knee disability, and leukocytosis at the June 2015 hearing. The remaining claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected right upper extremity paresthesias, median nerve disability of the right upper extremity, and ulnar nerve disability of the right upper extremity have been granted. The Veteran is also entitled to separate ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities associated with thoracic spine osteoarthritis.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right knee disability and a separate rating for arthritis of the right knee. The Veteran's residuals of a tear of the medial collateral ligament from the tibial insertion with chondromalacia of the right patella are not manifested by at least moderate recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, while his degenerative changes of the right knee are due to or have been aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability. A separate 10 percent rating for arthritis of the right knee is warranted based on noncompensable limitation of motion confirmed by objective evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee osteoarthritis is etiologically related to his service, including multiple in-service knee injuries. As a result, the appeal for service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is caused by an in-service incident and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's sciatic neuritis and left knee disability have been granted increased ratings, with the sciatic neuritis receiving a maximum rating of 40 percent.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU effective October 30, 2008 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion from the VA examiner regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis of the lower spine.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the initial evaluations for diabetes mellitus type II, limited right hip flexion due to osteoarthritis and trochanteric bursitis, and right ankle injury with instability. The Board is dismissing these appeals.

The Veteran's bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees is found to be etiologically related to active service. The Board finds that new VA examinations are necessary to determine if his low back strain, cervical and neck strain, and bilateral ankle strains are etiologically related to active service or secondary to his now service-connected bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability and granted it. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a neck disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.