Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to perform daily activities of living without the assistance of another, and he meets the requirements for aid and attendance from another. As a result, his claim for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of evidence and an inadequate VA examination, which may affect the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the back, intervertebral disc syndrome, left central disc protrusion and disc bulge at T7 through T11, right ear hearing loss disability, anxiety disorder, right hip disability, and left hip disability have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his obesity, which in turn is due to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine, degenerative disc and joint disease; residuals of right ACL instability; right hip strain with osteoarthritis; left knee degenerative arthritis; right knee instability; and right tibial stress fracture. The Board has granted the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, including degenerative arthritis of the cervical and lumbar spine, right and left knee conditions, migraines, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo with dizziness and staggering, urinary dysfunction, bilateral upper and lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's statements and medical opinions supported these findings.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent. The Board has denied a higher rating for this condition as it is not available under applicable regulations. For TDIU, the Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating since November 2, 2015 meets the percentage requirements and he is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, right and left lower radiculopathy caused his obesity, which in turn led to obstructive sleep apnea. The Board granted entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle osteoarthritis, left ankle disorder, right knee condition, and neck condition due to lack of evidence showing a chronic disability in service or continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, as well as the Veteran's claim of secondary OSA to his PTSD. The case is remanded for an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's OSA is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy of the left upper extremity, hand, foot and mouth disease, and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The left and right knee disabilities were denied as not incurred during or caused by his period of active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current condition and service.

The Veteran's right hip osteoarthritis and left hip degenerative arthritis are granted as service-connected. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU based on his left hip disability.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for left knee strain is dismissed due to a procedural defect.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee condition. The VA must seek an additional opinion that considers the impact of obesity on the Veteran's right knee.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder and left shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service shoulder pain.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied. The right hip condition claim has been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and bilateral pes planus conditions prior to December 22, 2020.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis status-post meniscal surgery was granted with an effective date of January 2, 1988.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (major depressive disorder, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and left knee condition) prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since he last worked full time in May 2016. The Board finds that his TDIU claim is granted since October 31, 2017.