Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's combined schedular disability ratings meet the minimum requirements for consideration of a TDIU, and her service-connected disabilities rendered her unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including diverticulitis with GERD and resection of the small intestine, sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, right lower extremity sciatica, and left lower extremity sciatica. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of May 6, 2022, for the awards of service connection for depressive disorder and degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a back disability due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between his service and acquired back disorders. The case will be returned to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, high blood pressure, back disability, hand and foot degenerative arthritis, pes planus, migraine disability, and concussion disability, were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of these conditions or evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative arthritis are currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not compensable.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis is secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than July 1, 2022, for additional dependency compensation for his current spouse was denied as he did not provide all necessary information to establish their relationship within one year of the relevant rating decisions.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that a remand is necessary due to the inconsistency between the Veteran's statements and the VA examination findings, requiring a new examination.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, neck disability, coccydynia, erectile dysfunction, left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis with arthroscopy and medial meniscectomy, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, right shoulder overuse syndrome, right elbow olecranon bursitis, and right elbow tendonitis. Service connection was granted for left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendonitis and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis are granted as service connected. The Board found that the Veteran developed these conditions during active duty for training.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been dismissed as the initial ratings were already assigned prior to May 24, 2021.

The Board has denied service connection for low back disability, left shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and bilateral knee conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic fatigue syndrome, other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder, fibromyalgia, IBS (Gulf War illness), and left knee strain with osteoarthritis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since September 16, 2017. The Board has granted the TDIU for this period.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's left lower extremity sciatica. The issue of service connection for left lower extremity sciatica as secondary to degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is also being addressed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right hip internal derangement and right knee osteoarthritis have been denied. The VA has determined that the current ratings do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating in any of these cases.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, and right hip conditions, rendered him unemployable as of August 30, 2015. The Board granted an effective date for the TDIU award on this date.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates and ratings related to hip conditions are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for lower back degenerative arthritis, diabetes mellitus type II, and left knee surgical scar.,There is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to these conditions.