Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran is service-connected for multiple disabilities, including bipolar disorder and head injury residuals. The Board finds that the Veteran's unemployability is due to his service-connected psychiatric disability (bipolar disorder), and grants a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee patellar tendinitis, right knee osteoarthritis, and left shoulder osteoarthritis are related to his military service. As a result, the claims for these disabilities have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left wrist disorder and broken left pinky finger are not service-connected as they did not occur during his military service or within one year of discharge.

The Board has determined that the appellant's right and left knee conditions, including surgery scars on both knees, were neither incurred in nor related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, right elbow, and low back disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are currently rated as 10 percent disabling each, effective March 29, 2009. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either knee.

The Veteran's left knee DJD is rated at 10 percent, effective July 27, 2007. The residuals of his left knee injury are rated at 20 percent from January 6, 2012.,For the period from July 26, 2007 to January 5, 2012, the Veteran's left knee injury residuals were rated at 10 percent. From January 6, 2012, they are rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a spine disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), or obstructive sleep apnea that is related to his active service.,VA examinations and medical opinions indicate no link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability did not manifest during service and is not related to her military service, thus denying her claim for service connection.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right ankle disorder. His left knee and left ankle disorders are not service-connected.,His patellar chondromalacia of both knees is not shown to be etiologically related to an injury or illness incurred during his active duty service, nor did osteoarthritis of the left ankle manifest within one year after discharge.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, diabetes mellitus, type II, and various orthopedic conditions. The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's left hip disability is rated at 30 percent, and his left thigh scar is rated at 10 percent. The Board denied the increased rating claims for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for adjustment disorder with anxiety, bilateral plantar fasciitis and flat feet, and lumbar spine osteoarthritis and L5 disk bulge. The Veteran's conditions are believed to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or instability, as there was no ankylosis of the spine or knees, and the Veteran had not experienced incapacitating episodes related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine has been rated as noncompensably disabling prior to December 22, 2009, and as 10 percent disabling on and after that date. The claim is granted.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 30 percent disability rating for left knee ligament disorders, effective July 1, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea are related to her military service, while her heart murmur, asthma, and CTS do not have a direct link. The reduction in rating for pes planus was upheld.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis with instability and limited extension, have been rated based on their functional impairment. The RO has granted increased ratings for the left knee disability since August 8, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis, hypertension, COPD, and diabetes mellitus as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.