Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, status post total knee replacement. The appeal of education benefits was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased evaluations for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, and residuals of left great toe injury; and a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of right knee or right wrist, and his service connection claims for right hip osteoarthritis are denied. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also denied as he does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting low back disability permanently worsened during service, warranting service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not related to her military service and denied both her claim for direct service connection as well as any secondary service connection claims.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's left ankle arthroplasty with residual scars is rated at 40 percent, effective from September 1, 2011. The appeal for a higher rating remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and consideration of extraschedular rating for the right hip disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the right hip and arthritis of multiple joints other than the right hip, both secondary to his service-connected Lyme disease. The appeal is considered on a de novo basis.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome with osteoarthritis is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee osteoarthritis and left knee sprain with instability, finding that there is no new evidence to reopen the claim or additional functional loss due to pain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further action, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including consideration of an extraschedular rating and a TDIU due to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the fingers, hands, shoulders, and spine have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected knee disabilities and whether he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis of the lumbosacral spine does not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability evaluation greater than 10 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of December 3, 2004 for his TDIU due to CUE in a May 2011 rating decision. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU prior to December 3, 2004.

The Veteran's current left ankle arthritis was not incurred or aggravated by active service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for low back, knee, hip, and shoulder disorders, finding no clear and unmistakable evidence of preexisting conditions and insufficient medical nexus to link current disabilities to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his PTSD and right knee disability, did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from pneumonia. Other conditions such as COPD, diabetes mellitus, smoking-related issues, and pre-existing pneumonia were also contributing factors.