Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded to the RO/AMC for further development, including a new VA examination.

The veteran's right knee condition is manifested by range of motion from 0 to 110 degrees flexion with painful motion, but not by subluxation or instability or severe functional impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, degenerative arthritis of the hands, and degenerative arthritis of the shoulders as these conditions were not incurred in active service, to include as residuals of cold injury.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's right ankle, right thumb, and erectile dysfunction disabilities as they did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities were granted increased ratings of 30 percent, 20 percent, and 10 percent respectively.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee conditions, and thus remands the case back to the RO for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition that is secondary to the veteran's service-connected knee conditions. The claims of increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities are remanded.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee conditions prior to December 17, 2002 were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not show that the veteran's right knee conditions warranted a rating in excess of 10%.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations and increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the left knee, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating in excess of the current evaluations.

The veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left elbow, right leg, right foot, and right knee are being remanded due to insufficient evidence. The claim for whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for osteoarthritis of the back is also being remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a low back disorder and finds that it is related to service, granting service connection on a direct basis.

The veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been rated at 10% each, reflecting limitation of motion.

The veteran's right shoulder and ankle disabilities have been evaluated based on their current status, with a 30% rating for the right shoulder since September 15, 2003, and a 20% rating for the right ankle since that date. The claims for increased ratings are denied.,The veteran's arthritis of the right shoulder and ankle have not been shown to be related to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disorder, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, chondrocalcinosis, and possible medial meniscal tear, did not manifest during service or due to any incident of service. The examiner opined that the current condition is likely chronic in nature and developed over time.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disorder and degenerative arthritis of multiple joints are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran is entitled to NSC pension effective October 4, 2004, based on his total disability due to multiple service-connected disabilities. The effective date was granted as it is the earliest possible date when the record showed the criteria for NSC pension were met.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating and an earlier effective date for service connection were granted. The current disability rating is 40 percent, effective May 31, 1995.

The Board has determined that the veteran's spouse requires regular aid and attendance due to her multiple physical conditions, including osteoarthritis and statis myositis. The evidence supports this finding based on medical statements and testimony from the veteran and his grandson.

The veteran's right knee Baker's cyst and osteoarthritis were not found to warrant a higher rating for the period February 1, 2003, to March 16, 2007.