Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's SMC at the housebound rate from January 1, 2022, is denied because he did not have a single service-connected disability rated as total and an additional disability or disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or greater during that period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a recurrent left knee disability and an increased rating for unspecified anxiety disorder due to procedural issues.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals related to the left knee gout with degenerative osteoarthritis and internal derangement status post meniscectomy, right knee gout with degenerative osteoarthritis and internal derangement, and left knee gout with degenerative osteoarthritis and internal derangement status post meniscectomy based on limitation of extension. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the left wrist as secondary to service-connected left wrist strain due to insufficient evidence in the June 2021 VA opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of her right and left knee disabilities, back disability, and feet disability are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The VA is instructed to obtain relevant treatment records from private providers and provide the Veteran with a retrospective medical examination.

The Veteran's earlier effective date for a 20% rating for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine is granted from January 12, 2019. The earlier effective date for a 60% rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease is also granted from October 1, 2019.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examinations and a need for new examination opinions regarding the etiology of each of the Veteran's diagnosed right knee disabilities, including a meniscal tear, instability, and arthritis. The examiner must opine whether it is at least as likely as not that these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits prior to July 5, 2018. The evidence did not provide a factually ascertainable date that entitlement to a TDIU arose prior to this date.

The Veteran's cervical spine condition is remanded for an adequate medical opinion to determine if it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected thoracic spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a skin condition, GERD, OSA, and PVD of the lower extremities and shoulders. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing these conditions had their onset during active service or were related to his military service.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis, diagnosed as pain and loss of motion, is found to have its onset during his combat service in Vietnam. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's disability rating for degenerative arthritis, status post right knee total knee replacement was reduced from 30% to 10%, effective October 31, 2016, to July 11, 2018. The reduction is now considered void ab initio and the original 30% rating has been restored.

The Veteran's atopic dermatitis of the feet is currently rated as noncompensable, and the evidence does not support a compensable rating.,Both his right knee osteoarthritis with meniscal tear and bakers cyst and left knee osteoarthritis with meniscal tear and patellofemoral chondromalacia are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of October 30, 2020, based on his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's back condition, which is rated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine (General Rating Formula), has been granted a disability rating of 40 percent since November 2, 2010.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) for the entire period on appeal, excluding a temporary total rating period from January 30, 2024, to February 29, 2024.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ankle disability. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his current condition, which includes lateral collateral ligament sprain and degenerative disease with degenerative arthritis.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD), a neck disability, osteoarthritis of the right elbow (now claimed as a right arm disability), and right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus was rated at 10 percent disabling, and his left ear hearing loss did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.