Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's back disability, rhinitis, and other conditions. The VA will attempt to obtain relevant private treatment records from WHC and Dr. S., as well as any outstanding VA treatment records. A new VA examination will be scheduled for these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that his preexisting condition did not increase in severity beyond its natural progression during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral pes planus and right knee osteoarthritis (secondary to left knee degenerative arthritis) is reopened, but the Board did not make a final determination on these claims.

The Board has granted the petition to reopen claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities. However, both issues are remanded due to insufficient nexus opinions in the prior VA examination.

The reduction in evaluation from 20 to 10 percent for service-connected lumbar spine disability was improper, and the 20 percent rating is restored. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability includes consideration of whether the reduction in the assigned rating was proper.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, effective November 7, 2014. The Board finds that the evidence does not show limitation of forward flexion to 30 degrees or less, even when considering pain and other factors, so a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete examinations and scheduling issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and ankle disorders were denied in a December 2015 rating decision.,The Veteran filed new claims on October 4, 2018, seeking effective dates prior to October 4, 2018, for the grant of service connection for his right and left knee and ankle disabilities. The Board found that these claims were not timely filed as they did not meet the requirements for reopening a previously denied claim.,The Veteran's representative argued that there was CUE in the December 2015 rating decision, but this argument is not valid because jurisdiction over an earlier effective date appeal does not extend to allegations of CUE in a prior final rating decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from performing the physical acts required for employment, and therefore compensation for TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent since November 21, 2018. The appeal for higher ratings prior to that date was denied. Service connection has been granted for left ankle, right hip, and left hip disabilities as secondary to the service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at a noncompensable disability rating from March 18, 2008 to January 8, 2015 and granted a 10% disability rating effective November 9, 2001 for his left ear hearing loss and April 23, 2007 for his right ear hearing loss. The Veteran is seeking a 10% disability rating from March 18, 2008 to January 8, 2015.,The Veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis with DDD was rated at a noncompensable disability rating prior to October 19, 2020 and denied an increased rating. The Veteran is seeking a 40% disability rating from April 7, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee osteoarthritis due to insufficient evidence, and will consider any new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, IVDS, and degenerative disc disease with chronic strain was denied. The Board found that the criteria for a 40 percent disability evaluation were met since June 5, 2018.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinions were inadequate and remanded for further clarification. The Veteran's left-hand osteoarthritis is being remanded to determine if it is related to his in-service injury while playing basketball.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis in both the left and right thumb, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active-duty military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, including degenerative arthritis and pain, finding that there is at least a balance of evidence to support this claim.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy with multiple microaneurysms are denied as his claim was not received until October 24, 2017.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis is remanded due to the possibility of a factually ascertainable increase in severity within one year prior to the receipt of his claim.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the claims of service connection for various disorders, including foot fungus, nose disorder, back disorder, asthma, psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, and hearing loss. The appeals are being remanded to obtain clarification on private treatment records and to schedule VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee meniscus tear and degenerative arthritis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.