Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities was granted with effective dates of September 2, 2021. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disorder due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting TDIU.

The Veteran's knee and back braces caused increased wear or tear to his outer clothing in 2019, leading to the grant of an annual clothing allowance.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate examination findings. The Board also requests an addendum opinion regarding the possibility of separate ratings for muscle disorders.

The Veteran's service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected disabilities of degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine with spinal fusion and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, is denied because the evidence does not support a finding that obesity (an intermediate step) was caused or aggravated by these service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, psychiatric disability other than unspecified anxiety disorder with unspecified neurocognitive disorder, and urination disability were denied. The claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for migraine headaches was also denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for a low back disability, right knee disability, and an increased rating for left knee degenerative arthritis before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of September 23, 2021 for the award of service connection for migraine headaches and a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is denied as there was no chronic condition in service, and it did not manifest to a compensable degree within a presumptive period.,Service connection for headaches is denied as they are not related to an in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's current headache disability began after separation from service.,Service connection for urethritis is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Veteran has not provided any medical opinion linking it to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability and neck disability, effective February 6, 1996, based on clear and unmistakable error in previous rating decisions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, but the Board found no evidence of ankylosis or flexion to less than 30 degrees. The left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is rated at 40 percent.,The Veteran's hallux valgus and pes planus are both rated as 10 percent.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, but denied housebound status and TBI-based SMC.

The Board has found the records incomplete and remanded for several reasons, including obtaining updated private treatment records from the Veteran's ENT provider and VA treatment records. Additionally, a new examination is required to assess the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability due to inadequate previous examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for TDIU and DEA due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, and the case is now referred to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the downstream issue of assigning initial ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,Effective May 18, 2009, separate ratings are granted for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities associated with service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar and cervical spine due to an inadequate VA examination. The case will be returned for further evaluation.

The Veteran's cervical strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are not service-connected, while his bilateral groin scars remain under review.,The Veteran's initial rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His bilateral groin scars are also under review for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee condition to include pain, arthrosis, and osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of left knee joint osteoarthritis and credible lay statements supporting continuity of symptomatology from in-service until diagnosis.

The Board has determined that the VA examination obtained on remand is inadequate and that further examination is needed to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability. Additionally, efforts should be made to obtain any missing relevant treatment records.