Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 60 percent effective February 19, 2010.,SMC for the period from December 19, 2005, to January 31, 2007, is granted.

The Board denied service connection for back and neck disorders, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability, including degenerative arthritis and total knee arthroplasty, is caused by service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, scheduling a new VA examination to assess the severity of his lumbar spine disability, peripheral neuropathy, and bowel/bladder impairment, and addressing whether service connection should be restored for type II diabetes mellitus with early diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back and shoulder conditions, are sufficiently severe to render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to June 27, 2011.

The Veteran's patellofemoral pain syndrome and chondromalacia of the right knee are service-connected. The osteoarthritis of the right knee is not service-connected as it is due to natural progression.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ankle degenerative arthritis, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected left ankle degenerative disease.

The Board has granted service connection for a scar on the forehead, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support this claim. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not have their clinical onset in active service or are otherwise causally related to active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorders are not related to his service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's chronic low back disability, including diagnosed as a low back strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine, is not related to her active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee conditions, instability of the right knee, and moderate impairment of the right leg quadriceps muscle. The effective date is October 21, 2005, as this was the date the Veteran filed to reopen his claim for these disabilities.

The Veteran's current bilateral knee tri-compartment osteoarthritis is found to be related to his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as knee conditions, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disorder is not related to his active military service and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no competent or credible evidence linking the Veteran's current cervical spine and knee disabilities to his service, including World War II. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of pseudofolliculitis barbae and had this condition in service, thus granting service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right and left knees did not manifest in service or within one year after separation from service, and thus cannot be presumed to have been incurred therein. The current disability is considered less likely than not related to any event or condition during service.

The Veteran's post-operative residuals of a crush injury to the left foot with osteoarthritis, pes cavus, and hallux rigidus were rated at 30 percent prior to May 24, 2011. From that date, he was rated at 40 percent for loss of use of the left foot. The Board found that both ratings are appropriate based on the evidence.