Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to March 4, 2009, for a 10% rating for left knee psoriatic arthritis with enthesopathy and degenerative arthritis was denied. The claim for a higher rating for the same condition was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee degenerative arthritis pre-existed service and was aggravated by service, thus granting service connection for both knees.

The Veteran's right knee disability, status post total arthroplasty, is denied a rating in excess of 30 percent.,The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and IVDS is denied a rating in excess of 20 percent.,The Veteran's service-connected right lower extremity radiculopathy from March 6, 2019, is granted a disability rating of 20 percent.,The Veteran's service-connected left lower extremity radiculopathy has not been rated higher than 20 percent.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected conditions were not the principal or contributory causes of his death.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis is granted a 30 percent rating.,The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is granted a 40 percent rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities did not begin during service or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to address the level of involvement of a painful neuroma in his left great toe stump and whether his symptoms extend beyond the phalanx area.

The Veteran's left knee instability was granted a rating of 10 percent prior to February 7, 2021. From that date, the Veteran's left knee instability is rated at 20 percent. The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia and degenerative arthritis with painful motion are both denied ratings in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hip osteoarthritis is not related to his service, specifically his presumed exposure to herbicide agents. As a result, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The Board finds the Veteran's sleep apnea claim must be remanded due to inadequate opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right hip disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis is granted as service-connected.,An initial non-compensable rating for allergic rhinitis remains unchanged.,An initial non-compensable rating for sinusitis remains unchanged.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent for limitation of motion, and a separate rating of 20 percent for recurrent dislocation of the scapulohumeral joint with frequent episodes and guarding of all arm movements. The Board denied an increased rating more than 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disabilities due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to obtain relevant non-VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and an increased rating of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is effective January 5, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities prior to November 11, 2021 is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the severity of his disability and determine if there was ankylosis during flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right knee degenerative arthritis with limitation of flexion and extension were denied as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and multiple hip and knee conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU based on these disabilities.