Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as his service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, and he has worked full-time despite his knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as his major depressive disorder and left shoulder disability limit his employment options.

The Veteran's initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and left knee strain were denied.,The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected conditions was remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and insufficient evidence, including VA treatment records indicating arthritic changes in the Veteran's left foot.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis and strain are service-connected, as his current conditions can be traced back to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and hemochromatosis of the right upper extremity have been dismissed due to a withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and radiculopathies of the femoral and sciatic nerves of bilateral lower extremities. The Veteran's headaches are also found to be related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ankle and right shoulder disabilities were denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under VA rating criteria.

The Board has granted the Veteran's new and relevant evidence claim for service connection of right hip disability as secondary to his service-connected right foot disability.

The Veteran's left knee surgery did not require at least one month of convalescence and resulted in severe postoperative residuals, thus the claim for a temporary total rating based on convalescence is denied.

The Board has determined that the VA examination obtained prior to the decision on appeal is inadequate for adjudication purposes and remands the case for corrective action, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee degenerative arthritis, as well as OSA prior to March 5, 2024. The claims are being remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining an adequate examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the thoracolumbar spine, as well as radiculopathy in both lower extremities, are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The VA examinations provided were insufficient for adjudication purposes.

The Veteran's service-connected mood disorder, panic disorder without agoraphobia, degenerative arthritis of the right hip, and degenerative arthritis of the left hip have resulted in his unemployability. The Board finds that these conditions meet the schedular prerequisite ratings for a TDIU.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of mid/lower back musculoskeletal condition with degenerative arthritis, right hip condition with degenerative arthritis, left hip condition with degenerative arthritis, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. As a result, the claims are dismissed.

The Board has granted the readjudication of the claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and denied the readjudication of the claim for service connection for ingrown toenails.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for right and left knee osteoarthritis are denied as there is no legal basis for an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis status post right medial meniscectomy is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities, combined with his obesity, make him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board denied the TDIU claim as the Veteran's disabilities alone do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.