Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for post traumatic headaches, right shoulder disability, and lumbar spine disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a disability evaluation and service connection due to inadequate examinations, including those related to her left ankle and low back pain.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of a digestive/bowel disability, and the evidence did not support her claim that she has an acquired psychiatric disorder or right hand carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, including effective date determinations and initial disability ratings. The TDIU claim was also remanded for due process development.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. The lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding the Veteran's left hip, bilateral knees, and foot disabilities. The examiner must determine if these conditions preexisted service or were aggravated by service.

Service connection has been granted for broken nose, facial scars, cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, TBI, right ankle pain, sleep apnea as secondary to broken nose, and acquired psychiatric disability.,The Veteran's service-connected broken nose is linked to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance, as he is unable to dress or undress himself, keep himself clean and presentable, prepare his own meals, and protect himself from daily hazards. The Board has granted entitlement to SMC(l).

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating more than 20 percent for lumbar degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and spondylolisthesis, or cervical degenerative joint disease (DJD) status post cervical fusion.

The Veteran's left hip degenerative arthritis and right total hip replacement, status post arthritis, are granted as service-connected.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hand, foot, and knee disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of her conditions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain VA examinations and provide appropriate medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical examination reports and a duty-to-assist error. The appellant's service-connected right knee disability will need further evaluation to determine its current severity.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and disability ratings related to various knee and hip conditions due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee pain is related to his service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis and remands the case for further development.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 21, 2013 for the award of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis and for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since at least May 21, 2013.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with gait disturbance status post-surgery disability is rated at 20 percent prior to November 18, 2019 and denied for a higher rating.,The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with gait disturbance status post-surgery disability is rated at 40 percent from November 18, 2019 and denied for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected knee and ankle disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria.,Effective February 7, 2021, the VA updated the criteria for evaluating ankle degenerative arthritis to include specific ranges of motion.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's right foot condition, including hammer toes and osteoarthritis, is remanded due to lack of in-service records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee replacements, as well as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, were denied. The evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his back condition, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current disability and his active service.