Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, prostate cancer, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine due to pre-decisional failures in the duty to assist.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left hip osteoarthritis to obtain a more thorough medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities and right ankle postural calcaneal enthesophyte with degenerative arthritis.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining a peripheral nerve examination and the curriculum vitae of the examiners involved.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for amputation of multiple fingers on the left hand and hypertension, while remanding claims for degenerative arthritis of the lower back and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee tricompartmental osteoarthritis, finding that there was no evidence of a bilateral knee condition during active service as well as after discharge until 2019.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hallux rigidus and assigned a 60 percent rating from September 9, 2019, for residuals of prostate cancer with voiding dysfunction. It also granted ratings in excess of 20 percent for type II diabetes mellitus and right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy of the anterior crural nerve.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for recurrent instability of the left knee from April 3, 2022, but denied an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee chondromalacia with osteoarthritis.

The appeal for service connection for chronic sinusitis, left ankle degenerative arthritis, and rhinitis has been dismissed by the Veteran.

The Board denied a rating higher than 40 percent for lumbosacral strain with spinal fusion and IVDS from September 14, 2021 to April 7, 2022; granted a 60 percent evaluation for right total knee joint replacement effective December 1, 2021.

The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for left (dominant) shoulder rotator cuff tear with degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence was in approximate balance to show limitation of motion midway between side and shoulder level during flare-ups.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability as they are not related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for various disabilities, including left hip strain with trochanteric pain syndrome, limitation of abduction of the left hip, lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis, and radiculopathy affecting both lower extremities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis with total knee replacement and left hip degenerative arthritis with joint replacement as secondary to the right knee condition, due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's residual low back scar, with pain, from June 8, 2010 to February 11, 2016 and denied a compensable rating for the same condition from February 11, 2016. The Board also denied an effective date prior to June 8, 2010 for degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral spine, radiculopathy, right lower extremity, and residual low back scar.

The Board dismissed the appeal of a proposed rating reduction for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spondylolisthesis and the appeals for entitlement to increased ratings for right and left lower radiculopathy as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that February 11, 2014, was the earliest possible effective date based on the receipt of the application to reopen the claim.

The Board granted restoration of the 40 percent rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with degenerative arthritis and restored the 40 percent ratings for left lower extremity (LLE) sciatic radiculopathy and right lower extremity (RLE) sciatic radiculopathy, effective September 16, 2022. The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for the back condition beginning June 3, 2023, granted a separate noncompensable rating for urinary leakage secondary to the back condition beginning June 3, 2023, and denied increased ratings for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board granted service connection for right knee strain and right ankle degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence supports a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.