Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis. The issues have not been decided yet.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The Board will seek new opinions to determine if the conditions are related to service.

Service connection for hypercholesterolemia, microscopic hematuria, bilateral hearing loss, tinea versicolor, psoriatic arthritis of the knees, shoulders, and ankles, a bilateral shoulder disability (including psoriatic arthritis and bilateral lateral collateral ligament sprain), and a bilateral ankle disability (including psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis) is denied.,The Veteran's hypercholesterolemia and microscopic hematuria are not service-connected as they were preexisting conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis, but the claims for right knee arthritis and osteoarthritis of both hips are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for left knee osteoarthritis, including consideration of a separate rating for left knee instability, is remanded due to a duty to assist error. The examination must be conducted to determine the severity of the service-connected left knee osteoarthritis in connection with the partial left knee meniscus tear and whether it is related to the Veteran's service-connected condition.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of February 4, 2019 for the Veteran's service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The Veteran was previously denied this claim in May 2019 and appealed it.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic pain lower back, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

Your claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the right and left hips have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted. The Board also remanded the claims of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral knee arthritis due to a lack of recent VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and duty-to-assist errors.,Specifically, the VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusions regarding the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's disability ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and tension headaches were improperly reduced. The Board has reinstated these ratings to their original levels, effective August 1, 2022.

The Board has dismissed all pending appeals due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims prior to a final decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance (SMC A&A) due to a lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him so nearly helpless as to require regular aid and attendance from another person.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs an addendum opinion regarding whether the service-connected left knee disability aggravated the right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for thoracolumbar strain with degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine was denied, while he received a 10 percent evaluation for left hamstring strain.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for right and left knee osteoarthritis as there were inconsistencies in the examination report regarding instability, which is a critical issue. The Veteran will need further medical evaluation to determine the extent of his knee conditions.

The Veteran's left knee rating was restored to 20 percent effective May 1, 2020. The appeal for a higher rating remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion regarding the extent of functional loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder was granted from February 12, 2021. The Board found no legal basis to grant an earlier effective date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and left knee degenerative arthritis need further development due to a duty-to-assist error.