Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot, hearing loss, and left knee disabilities were not incurred during service. The low back disability was found to be related to service. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right hip trochanteric pain syndrome and right knee degenerative arthritis with meniscal tear residuals have been dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney withdrawing all pending appeals.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, right medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints), and left medial tibial stress syndrome due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to obtain a clarifying opinion regarding the nature of the Veteran's bilateral knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee and left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure and has persisted since service.,Hypercholesterolemia is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes, thus the claim cannot be granted.,There is no current diagnosis of hemorrhoids or renal dysfunction. The Veteran's complaints are deemed subjective and self-reported without objective evidence supporting these conditions.,The Veteran has bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, and nephrolithiasis which were diagnosed post-service but not related to service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as the etiology of the condition remains unclear.,Service connection for cervical spine disability (degenerative arthritis) is remanded due to insufficient evidence linking the current condition to service.,Service connection for nephrolithiasis is remanded as there are no definitive diagnoses prior to the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle disability was denied due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to his military service. The right shoulder disability ratings were also denied as there is no evidence showing that the current conditions meet or exceed the required criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to deficiencies in the examination reports, particularly regarding the requirements of Correia v. McDonald (2016). The Veteran's right knee disability is being evaluated based on direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and an addendum VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's right great toe hallux rigidus with arthritis is granted an initial 10 percent disability rating, effective from the date of decision.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to lack of pursuit.,Service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that the condition had its onset in service or is otherwise related to military service.,New and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection of a lumbar spine condition, but the appeal remains pending.

The Board has determined that additional VA medical evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, and therefore, these matters are being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that additional evidence has been added to the record and requests a remand for further review of these claims. The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for consideration.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is rated at 10 percent, effective October 29, 2015. The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder was initially granted a 10 percent rating prior to January 19, 2023 and later increased to 50 percent beginning on that date.,The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5260. The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder was initially granted a 10 percent rating prior to January 19, 2023 and later increased to 50 percent beginning on that date.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating and an effective date prior to April 10, 2006, was denied. The Board found that the criteria for an earlier effective date were not met due to lack of an informal or formal claim filed before April 10, 2006. For the period from May 4, 2021, forward, a rating of 40 percent is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee osteoarthritis, as well as a higher rating for her thoracolumbar spine disability, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of left ankle disability. Service connection was granted for right shoulder and thoracolumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The left shoulder disability, diabetes mellitus, right and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, tinnitus, and ischemic heart disease all had their respective ratings either denied or not met the criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine has been withdrawn by the appellant.