Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for left ankle degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's claim was not filed until December 10, 2002. The decision is based on the fact that no informal or formal claims were submitted between 1973 and 2002.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain and associate with the claims file all outstanding VA treatment records pertinent to his left knee disability, including a current VA examination. The goal is to fully evaluate the service-connected left knee disability in terms of the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to the ratings and effective dates for various service-connected disabilities, including right ankle instability, right knee chondromalacia patella, left degenerative joint disease, and low back osteoarthritis. The appeals are being remanded due to scheduling issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability and right upper extremity paresthesias.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee disorder is not related to service or his service-connected varicose vein condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation & Pension Services for consideration of entitlement to TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a left thumb injury was granted. The claims for increased ratings for GERD and the left knee disability remain in appellate status.

The Board found that the Veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal regarding the January 2003 rating decision, which addressed his service-connected conditions and entitlement issues. As a result, the RO's decisions were deemed final.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a Board hearing. The specific claims of service connection and higher evaluations remain pending.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the initial disability ratings for right knee status post ACL reconstruction with chondromalacia and degenerative arthritis, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board finds that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right knee, post-operative is incurred during his active military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board is remanding the case to schedule a hearing for the Veteran, as he requested due to transportation and weather issues.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for hemorrhoids and left knee degenerative arthritis effective April 4, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a fracture of the right distal radius are currently rated at 40 percent, and his cervical sprain with osteoarthritis is also rated at 40 percent. The Board has determined that these ratings adequately reflect the severity and symptomatology of the disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinion in a previous decision. The Veteran's claims of service connection are now pending and will be reconsidered after the completion of the requested examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and any necessary imaging studies to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability. The RO will then re-adjudicate the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development to obtain medical records, provide a VA examination, and consider all evidence of record. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reconsidered in light of this additional information.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between her knee disabilities and service.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis disability has been manifested, at worst, with flexion from 0 to 140 degrees with pain starting at 140 degrees and extension to zero degrees with no pain; range of motion not limited by repetitive use. The Board finds that for the entire rating period, the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee osteoarthritis have not been met.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.