Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for sinusitis, post traumatic plantar tibial nerve damage (right), degenerative arthritis of the right knee, and lumbar spine degenerative joint disease. The issues include seeking earlier effective dates and higher ratings.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, finding that his current disability is related to wear and tear from wearing heavy armor in service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to June 28, 2017 have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected right knee disability has been remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected bilateral conjunctivitis has been remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating percent for service-connected right thigh lipoma has been remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right hip osteoarthritis, left knee degenerative joint disease, left knee instability, and right knee osteoarthritis, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for a DRO hearing.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including verification of periods of service and obtaining a VA examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's foot disabilities.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to evaluate the severity of the service-connected left knee disability due to inadequate previous examinations. The issues of increased rating for left knee and TDIU are also remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the left knee issue.

The Veteran's initial claim for a 10 percent rating for tension headaches has been granted. The Board has also remanded several other issues related to service connection and disability ratings.

The Veteran's left knee instability is granted a separate disability rating of 10 percent effective January 26, 2022. The ratings for left knee strain and osteoarthritis remain unchanged at 10 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral foot condition was granted a 50% rating effective April 13, 2022. The right knee and left knee disabilities were denied increased ratings prior to April 13, 2022, but granted a separate 10% rating for left knee instability as of August 9, 2019. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a 40% rating throughout the period on appeal. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine, claimed as back injuries, is related to his active military service and grants this claim.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, left hip femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, right hip disability manifested by pain, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus with left foot plantar fasciitis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip osteoarthritis as secondary to his service-connected right foot hallux valgus and for left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, finding that there is no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirement for a single service-connected disability rated at 60% or more, and his depression is not considered in determining unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral hearing loss disability as they are all covered by the March 2023 rating decision.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative arthritis, is found to have started during his military service and has continued since. The Board granted the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right ankle disability has resulted in marked impairment from January 24, 2022, forward and the Board granted an increased rating of 20 percent for his condition.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinion provided are inadequate, as they do not address whether the Veteran's current back disability is related to his service-connected left leg condition or if it was aggravated by this condition. The claim must be remanded for further development.

The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for lumbosacral spine strain was improper; a 20 percent rating is restored, effective July 27, 2020. The Veteran's entitlement to a higher rating and an earlier effective date for TDIU are remanded.