Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the thoracolumbar spine disability and an effective date of November 15, 2011, for the grants of service connection for radiculopathy of both lower extremities. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and PTSD, as well as a TDIU rating due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied a rating greater than 10 percent for allergic rhinitis and remanded claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and obstructive sleep apnea.

The appeal was dismissed for the right shoulder rotator cuff tear, sleep apnea was granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD, and left shoulder degenerative arthritis and back injury were denied.

The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for migraine headaches and an effective date of July 30, 2020, for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with agoraphobia, TDIU, DEA benefits, and SMC. Other claims were denied.

The Board granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, finding it to be a presumptively service-connected form of arthritis and that the Veteran's symptoms persisted from his active duty service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), emphysema, and left shoulder degenerative arthritis to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error and to satisfy a regulatory or statutory duty that may aid in substantiating the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left hip strain, right hip strain, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and right ankle ligament sprain with degenerative arthritis as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for right and left foot pes planus, metatarsalgia, and plantar fasciitis, an effective date of April 22, 2020, for the grant of service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a TDIU. However, it denied higher ratings for bilateral cavus and compensable disability ratings for scars.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracic and lumbar spine with thoracic level spinal canal stenosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, but denied service connection for PTSD based on military sexual trauma (MST).

The Board granted an earlier effective date of October 21, 2021 for service connection for right ankle degenerative arthritis and denied a higher initial rating for the same condition. The claim for service connection for a right leg/knee condition was also denied.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar degenerative arthritis prior to September 20, 2021, and granted ratings of 40 percent from September 19, 2019 to December 29, 2020, and 20 percent from March 1, 2021 to September 20, 2021 for the same condition. The claims for service connection for bruxism and a left knee condition were remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to June 7, 2019, from the earlier effective date of June 1, 2016, and denied an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD from June 6, 2014, to June 1, 2016.

The Board remands the claims for a right hand disability and left foot disability to ensure that there is a complete record upon which to decide the claim.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, and hypertension, but denied service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis and a neck disability, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Board remands the issues for additional development, including obtaining outstanding treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, granted a 20 percent disability rating for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, and remanded several other claims including those for increased ratings for various disabilities and TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee, and bilateral foot disabilities, collectively warranted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from July 7, 2022 to October 9, 2023.

The Board remands the claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a cervical spine disability due to an inadequate VA examination.