Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection and initial rating of various conditions, including Crohn's Disease, GERD, left knee disorder, and chronic sinusitis with allergic rhinitis, to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right knee conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board granted a 30 percent initial disability rating for chronic sinusitis and denied service connection for several other conditions, including right knee strain, obesity, degenerative arthritis, and others. Some claims were remanded for further consideration.

The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine conditions, left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, and right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy.

The Veteran's service connection for right knee osteoarthritis with meniscal tear and initial rating of 50 percent for migraines with dizziness were granted, while the initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left first MCP partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament was denied.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease as secondary to PTSD. The Board also granted an initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches effective August 26, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for painful hands and feet, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis and frostbite in the left hand, right hand, right foot, and left foot.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an extension of a temporary total evaluation for convalescence from left hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome surgery with hip dysplasia, finding that there was no evidence demonstrating she required continued convalescence beyond November 1, 2018.

The Veteran's service connection for GERD was granted, while the claims for left and right hand degenerative arthritis were denied. The rating for his right ankle condition was increased to 20 percent effective September 25, 2014.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for right and left shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding that the current 20 percent ratings were appropriate based on the evidence of record.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with bilateral radiculopathy, finding that it is a continuation of and caused by in-service back pain.

The Board granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis based on evidence of in-service injury and continuous symptoms since service.

The appeal was dismissed due to the lack of a timely appeal for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, making the December 2023 rating decision final.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from March 9, 2022, to February 27, 2023, due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, including Reiter's Syndrome, from December 11, 2001.

The Board remands the matter for an eighth time to obtain a retrospective medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition from June 2008 to the present, in compliance with Stegall v. West.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for insomnia, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Board Appeal request.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, as well as remanded certain issues related to TDIU and DEA benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for cervical IVDS with degenerative arthritis and segmental instability from December 22, 2021 to January 12, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability had its onset in service.