Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disability, wrist disability, heart disability, hypertension, cold injury residuals, jaw injury residuals, and glaucoma were denied as they are not related to service or cannot be presumed due to the passage of time.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his right knee osteoarthritis and whether he has a left knee disability related to service or secondary to his right knee condition. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and post-service medical records. The Veteran will also be scheduled for VA examinations to assess his hearing loss, back disability, and left hand and wrist disability.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is found to be the result of injury in active military service, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including obtaining a report of discharge and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disorder will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examiner's opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current left knee disorder and his military service. The claim will be reconsidered after this development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's scoliosis and whether his lumbar spine conditions are secondary to his service-connected right and left knee conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder disability, characterized by limited motion and pain, did not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent under applicable criteria.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is directly related to his active duty service. The issue of secondary service connection for the right knee disability due to a service-connected left knee condition will also be addressed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current low back disability and right hip replacement.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and left knee osteoarthritis with patella spur, but denied an increased rating for limitation of extension of the left knee. The Veteran's current disability ratings are as follows: 10 percent for left knee osteoarthritis with patella spur; and 10 percent for limitation of extension of the left knee.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for a neck disability, including consideration of whether his preexisting condition was aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, and therefore, the claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar osteoarthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, and he has separate radiculopathy of the left lower extremity that warrants a separate 10 percent rating. The initial rating for his thoracolumbar osteoarthritis remains unchanged.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder disorder, right ankle disorder, anxiety disorder, increased rating for disuse muscle atrophy of the biceps and triceps, left, and TDIU due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's right ankle degenerative arthritis was initially rated at 20 percent from April 29, 2008 to August 14, 2012. Since then, the rating has been increased to 10 percent.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence linking the current osteoarthritis of the right knee to service, including any in-service injuries. The Veteran's current disability is considered unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected osteoarthritis of the dorsal spine and its impact on employment. The claim for TDIU will also be addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer rated at 100%, PTSD rated at 70%, and other conditions, have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating.