Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee, left knee, right foot, left foot, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and resulting obesity.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected back disability and has remanded to determine appropriate ratings for lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his left hip and right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left hip open reduction internal fixation with osteoarthritis, or compensable ratings for abduction, adduction, or limitation of motion of the left hip. A noncompensable rating was assigned for his left thigh scar.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the left shoulder likely began during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for various back conditions, including degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, and a surgical scar is granted effective from April 22, 2015. The decision also grants service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment since June 2014.,The Board finds that the combination of multiple disabilities, including sleep apnea, coronary artery disease, and lumbar condition with radiculopathy, has prevented the Veteran from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability as secondary to service-connected neck disability and denied service connection for a heart disability due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for various conditions and revisions to evaluations. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as incurred in service due to noise exposure during military service.,The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as incurred and caused by injuries sustained during active service.

The Board granted service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, dismissed the claim for lumbar disability as moot, and remanded the claim for benign prostatic hypertrophy.

The Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 40 percent, which represents the maximum schedular evaluation for this condition.,The Veteran's left foot hallux valgus and osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (bilateral) are both rated at 10 percent each.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals of the issues regarding left and right knee degenerative arthritis, leading to their dismissal.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 60 percent from July 1, 2019 to October 14, 2019. Service connection for a left knee disability secondary to the right knee disability is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, gastroesophageal reflux disease, bilateral hip disabilities, bilateral knee disabilities, and lumbar disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the VA examinations and concerns about functional ankylosis. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated based on its current severity.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his left foot plantar fasciitis prior to January 12, 2021.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequacies in previous medical opinions and a need for further evidence.