Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected right ankle, left ankle, and low back disorders were denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board dismissed the appellant's claims for an increased rating for tender exit site scar on the left lateral posterior foreleg and an earlier effective date for award of service connection, finding that he did not submit adequate and timely substantive appeals.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well grounded, and therefore denied.

The Board has expanded the scope of the claim for major depression to encompass any mental health disability raised by the record and has remanded six issues for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification from the August 2017 VA examiner regarding which symptoms are related to his service-connected left trapezius strain and whether any non-service-connected conditions represent a progression of that disability.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal, including obtaining any outstanding treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's representative also requested reevaluation of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded two issues: entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 20 percent prior to March 23, 2009 for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and entitlement to an extraschedular disability rating for the same condition. The Veteran is asked to provide lay statements from individuals who have observed his symptoms during flare-ups and without medication. A retrospective medical opinion is needed to assess the severity of his condition prior to March 23, 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disability and a bilateral foot disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.

The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.