Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity and symptomatology of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, including any loss of muscle or atrophy resulting from these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and obtaining outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability is found to be secondary to his left knee disability, and he is granted service connection for a left knee disability. The rating for the right ankle disability remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent since the effective date of service connection, and no higher ratings are warranted based on current evidence.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is currently rated at 40 percent, effective February 28, 2007. His cervical strain with degenerative arthritis is rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examination and private medical records. The issues of a higher rating for low back disability and TDIU are also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% since June 3, 2004. His tinnitus is service-connected and rated as secondary to his hypothyroidism. The Veteran's bronchitis is not compensable but warrants a rating of 100%. Other conditions are either not shown or do not warrant increased ratings.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis, lumbar spine has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to procedural defects, including the failure to issue a statement of the case for his disagreement with assigned evaluations and earlier effective dates. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated in conjunction with these issues.

The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, effective July 11, 2011. The decision also addressed service connection for left leg disability secondary to the lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's cervical spine ankylosing spondylitis is currently rated at 100 percent, the highest schedular evaluation available. The Veteran also has a separate compensable rating for his neurologic abnormalities associated with his spinal condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hip disability, to include osteoarthritis and DJD, is not related to his military service. The claim for hypertension was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's chronic lumbosacral strain did not have its onset in active military service, arthritis did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service separation, and chronic lumbosacral strain has not otherwise been shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left hand and lower back conditions are not related to his active service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling issue for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at his local RO. The issues of entitlement to an increased evaluation and service connection are still pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted, and his initial rating for hypothyroidism remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran is seeking a higher rating for osteoarthritis of the left wrist. The case has been remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is related to his active military service due to ischemic heart disease, which was presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the ischemic heart disease contributed to the cause of death.