Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

Effective dates of May 22, 1996 are granted for service connection of left knee limitation of flexion and impairment.,Effective dates of April 14, 1998 are granted for service connection of left hip disability and lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction of his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine rating has been dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development regarding potential exposure to PFAS firefighting foam and for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his shoulder conditions.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis resulted in extension limited at worst to 20 degrees, and his right knee instability manifested as an incomplete ligament tear causing persistent instability. The Board granted a disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's right knee instability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthmatic bronchitis has been granted with an effective date of September 19, 2019. The other claims remain denied.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disorder and TDIU are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination in the previous decision. A new VA examination is required to assess the current severity of the Veteran's disability.

Your appeals for service connection and TDIU have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals in October 2024.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and L1 compression fracture, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted effective June 15, 2021, due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for earlier effective dates as the benefits sought have been granted in full.

The Veteran's appeals for an earlier effective date and service connection were dismissed due to concurrent elections under the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability, restoration of his rating for left ankle scarring, and an increased rating for his left Achilles tendon rupture with degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's appeals for compensable evaluations for right hip osteoarthritis/trochanteric pain syndrome with limited extension and right hip osteoarthritis/trochanteric pain syndrome with thigh impairment were denied as the evidence did not support a finding of limitation in motion or other symptoms warranting higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for thoracolumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, as well as lumbar radiculopathy, left lower extremity, are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board requests that the Veteran provide information about any private treatment providers he has used.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, left lower leg radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), and right lower leg radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) was granted effective May 7, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that new and relevant evidence did not support readjudication of these claims. The TDIU claim was also denied as the Veteran's single service-connected condition (hiatal hernia) did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right wrist disability is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for an updated examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right knee disorder and his service, as well as its relation to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, which includes strain and degenerative arthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion remains limited to 70 degrees at worst.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and a rating increase due to incomplete STRs, duty to assist errors, and inadequate VA medical opinions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain complete STRs and military personnel records, as well as adequate VA medical examinations and opinions that consider all evidence of record.