Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disorder.

The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of August 15, 2008 for both TDIU and DEA benefits due to service-connected disabilities including lumbar spinal degeneration, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right shoulder degenerative arthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's active-duty service caused his body to go through great amounts of stress, which was especially hard on his joints.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee Osgood-Schlatter disease was denied, as the evidence did not show limitation of flexion to 30 degrees or fewer.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for MDD was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inconsistencies in the rating decisions and need for further examination to determine the current severity of his left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to obtain an addendum. The Veteran's right knee disability is being examined again to determine if it is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date are being remanded due to the need to correct duty-to-assist errors.,A retrospective opinion is needed regarding the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's migraine headaches prior to June 22, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for a contemporaneous VA examination, as her current rating may be incorrect due to the passage of time since her last VA examination.

The Board has dismissed all claims due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on all listed conditions due to his death.

The Veteran's left and right knee conditions are currently rated at 10 percent for each knee due to degenerative arthritis. The Board denied entitlement to an initial compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected left and right knee conditions based on limitation of extension.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis with limitation of extension has been rated at 30 percent since October 5, 2021.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee osteoarthritis is etiologically related to his in-service injury, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea, which the Board found to be a principal cause of death. Therefore, DIC benefits are granted for the cause of death. The appeal for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for recurrent TBI residuals was denied as no evidence of such condition during active service or thereafter. The rating for tinea pedis remains noncompensable due to the use of topical treatment. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate were granted prior to September 15, 2020. Basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance was established prior to that date.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and the claim for TDIU prior to March 26, 2020 due to lack of evidence linking the current disability to service or any other etiology.

The reduction of the 70% rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder to a 50% rating was improper and is void ab initio. The restoration of the 70% rating is granted.,The reduction of the 20% rating for the Veteran's back disability to a 10% rating from September 1, 2020 to June 11, 2021 was also improper and is void ab initio. The restoration of the 20% rating is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee and left knee due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current conditions and service. The Court found that the VA examiner did not adequately consider the Veteran's reports of continued knee pain during and since service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee strain and meniscal tear, left foot drop, and peroneal neuropathy were denied in July 2018. The Board is remanding these issues.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ankle disability was also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease, left knee strain with joint osteoarthritis, and right knee strain with joint osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected pes planus and plantar fasciitis.