Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's sleep condition is not supported by current medical evidence.,There is no evidence of a left wrist or right wrist condition during service, and the conditions are not related to service.,There is no evidence of a right shoulder condition during service, and it is not related to service.,Parkinson's Disease with dystonia is not supported by current medical evidence.,Headaches are not supported by current medical evidence.,The Veteran has bilateral hip arthritis and degenerative arthritis of the left glenohumeral joint, which may be related to service. However, there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's right wrist osteoarthritis and right little finger fracture are rated at the maximum allowed under VA rating criteria, with no higher ratings available.,The Veteran's 5th metacarpal fracture is currently rated as noncompensable due to lack of ankylosis or other compensable factors. The Veteran's migraines remain rated at 50 percent, which is the highest possible rating under VA regulations.,The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), as this issue was not fully adjudicated in the initial decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right and left knee conditions due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in obtaining an adequate VA examination.

The Board has found that the AOJ issued a decision without waiting for service records to complete transit and without determining they were unavailable. The Veteran's representative contends earlier effective dates are warranted due to incomplete service records at the time of original denials. The Board agrees and remands for de novo reconsideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee condition due to lack of credible evidence linking his current disability to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine prior to December 17, 2019 is being remanded due to missing private medical records from his March 2016 lumbar microdiscectomy.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder AC joint osteoarthritis, left knee strain, and right knee strain. The Veteran's in-service injuries are found to be related to his current disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left hip disabilities, along with his lumbar spine disability, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU based on the severity of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The appellant withdrew their appeal for service connection claims related to left lower extremity radiculopathy and intervertebral disk syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative arthritis are granted service connection. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is also granted as secondary to his lumbar spine condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability had onset in active duty service. The decision concludes that the reasonable doubt created by this relative equipoise in the evidence must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome, cervical strain, and spondylolisthesis. These conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his cervical spine and right shoulder disability are dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right shoulder acromioclavicular degenerative joint disease is also dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and sustain substantially gainful employment, as he has reported working as an independent insurance agent.

The Veteran's cervical spine stenosis with degenerative arthritis is rated at 30 percent for the period prior to May 28, 2019 and denied for a higher rating thereafter.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle disability, finding no link between the current disabilities and documented in-service injuries.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ulnar neuropathy and posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the right elbow are related to a right elbow fracture he sustained while serving in Germany. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The decision concludes that the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and musculoskeletal conditions.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease and erectile dysfunction are found to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by his service-connected complex regional pain syndrome, residuals of fractured right wrist.,The Veteran's multilevel cervical spondyloarthropathy is not found to be secondary to his service-connected condition. The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is not found to be related to his service-connected condition.