Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spondylosis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's conditions are deemed to be directly related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bowel incontinence and a compensable rating for lumbar scar, but granted restoration of the Veteran's 20 percent disability rating for his lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition is granted with an effective date of September 23, 2020. The rating for the left bicipital tendonitis to include rotator cuff tear, acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and status post shoulder separation claimed as left shoulder, limited motion remains at 20 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee degenerative arthritis and a compensable rating for his right knee limitation of extension.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected right hand, left hand, right knee, and left knee conditions are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examinations conducted in February 2021. The examinations did not provide sufficient detail regarding the frequency, duration, characteristics, severity, and extent of functional impairment during flare-ups or repeated use.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as early as December 12, 2018. The Board has granted TDIU from March 7, 2019.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for back and right knee conditions have been dismissed as the claims were not properly submitted on the required forms.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back condition as aggravated by his service-connected left knee and ankle disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the reduction in rating from 10 percent to 0 percent for left hip trochanteric bursitis with degenerative arthritis - impairment of thigh, effective December 18, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection and a higher initial rating for his neck degenerative arthritis was granted. The effective date is set at December 29, 2016, and the current disability rating remains at 20 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reenter a VR&E program at the 'rehabilitation to the point of employability' status, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from performing the duties of his previous occupation and he had overcome any vocational impairment.

The Board denied service connection for a dental condition (gum disease), a back condition, and headaches. The evidence did not establish that the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.,Specifically, there was no credible evidence showing that the Veteran had any of the listed dental conditions recognized for compensation purposes under 38 C.F.R. § 4.150. For the back condition, the Board found no link between current degenerative arthritis and service. And for headaches, the VA examiner concluded they were acute during service with no chronicity post-service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right and left hip osteoarthritis with degenerative arthritis other than post traumatic due to insufficient examination addressing aggravation.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected major depressive disorder.,The Veteran's tension headaches are caused by his service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, lumbosacral degenerative arthritis and paraspinal muscle strain, cervical strain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptoms since separation from service and concluding that the current right shoulder disabilities did not have their onset during service.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for the 100 percent rating for PTSD, persistent depressive disorder to include TBI, and posttraumatic headaches are denied. The claim for restoration of the 30 percent rating for hypothyroidism is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the submission of additional issues not addressed in previous AOJ decisions. The TERA exposure and development is also required.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of recurrent bronchitis, left knee disorder, and neck disorder is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The issues are related to whether these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left ankle condition were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities.,The Veteran's degenerative arthritis, cervical spine condition, and sciatic nerve condition were also denied as the evidence does not support a connection to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected IVDS is dismissed. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increased rating during the period from April 30, 2019, to August 15, 2019.