Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis is denied.,Service connection for the low back disability and right shoulder osteoarthritis are both denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee osteoarthritis, hypertension, and allergic rhinitis are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of these conditions.,No effective date is provided as the appeal pertains to increased rating claims.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 20 percent for cervical spine degenerative arthritis prior to June 29, 2015 was granted. From that date onwards, a 30 percent rating is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar degenerative disc disease and bilateral pes planus, have not rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and experience.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for back condition, secondary to left knee instability. The Veteran's private physician opined that his low back pain was a direct result of his service-connected left knee injury. However, the VA examiner found it less likely than not that the Veteran's back condition is related to his service-connected left knee instability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for right hand arthritis is denied as the evidence does not show a chronic disability in service or within the applicable presumptive period.,The Veteran's service connection claims for left hand arthritis and impotence (erectile dysfunction) are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and evaluation. The issues include respiratory, hip, arthritic, and cardiovascular disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic low back pain, finding that there was no evidence of a link between his current condition and his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left ankle strain, cervical strain, and lumbosacral strain as these conditions have been continuously present since the Veteran's military service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether it was incurred in service.

The Veteran's right knee strain was granted an increased rating of 30 percent effective November 30, 2017. The Board found that the Veteran had been entitled to this rating since at least November 30, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 12, 2020 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied. The Board found that no portion of the increase in his service-connected disabilities occurred within one year prior to the date of his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that his degenerative arthritis did not originate in service and was not otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inconsistencies in medical evidence and need for clarification on the etiology of the Veteran's right hip condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and need for further evaluation of the Veteran's right knee conditions, including their relationship to service and any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee condition. The case will be reviewed again with a new examination and opinion.

The Board found clear and unmistakable error in the original grant of service connection for a back disability, as the December 2018 examiner's negative opinion was mistakenly read as positive. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, including those for earlier effective dates and higher ratings.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for left knee scar, left knee gonoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings due to inadequate examinations and need for further development.