Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board denied the appellant's eligibility for direct payment of attorney fees from benefits resulting from the September 2019 grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The TDIU was granted in response to an initial claim for TDIU filed by the Veteran, and not as part of an appeal or reconsideration of prior decisions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, as well as sciatic radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, were denied. The effective dates for service connection awards for sciatic radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for osteoarthritis, increased ratings for hypertension and hypothyroidism, and a higher rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in obtaining private treatment records that may be relevant to establishing a connection between the Veteran's lumbar spine disorders and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete treatment records and inadequate opinions concerning the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition and the evidence does not support a finding that it began during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's PTSD rating is denied as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating, which requires occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error related to the lack of an opinion on whether the condition is caused or aggravated by his hypertension.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for neck disability (claimed as neck pain) is remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the onset and etiology of the claimed condition, including consideration of a 2009 cervical spine diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for increased rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis is remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the extent of his pain symptomology.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to insufficient evidence and the need for additional development. The Veteran's claims include left shoulder, cervical spine, ankle, knee, foot, thigh, and back conditions related to her military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of left knee disability, service connection for right knee disorder secondary to his left knee disability, and TDIU are remanded due to inadequate examinations and new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for left knee conditions was denied. Prior to January 9, 2018, a rating higher than 10 percent for left knee osteoarthritis limitation of flexion is denied. From March 1, 2019, a rating higher than 30 percent for status post left knee total arthroplasty is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neurological disability secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability was denied. The claim for an increased rating for glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis with rotator cuff tear, left shoulder, prior to July 19, 2021, was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for clarification regarding ankylosis of the Veteran's lumbar spine and further evaluation of his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran experienced incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest prescribed by a doctor due to his low back condition, and to obtain private treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing a clinical opinion regarding the etiology of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the veracity of the Veteran's lay reports and the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his back disability, including whether he suffers from any neurologic symptoms related thereto.

The Veteran's right little finger degenerative arthritis is characterized by noncompensable limitation of motion with pain, and the claim for a compensable rating has been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to a TDIU based on extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of right knee joint osteoarthritis, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a failure by the Regional Office to properly assist in developing his service connection claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and unit histories. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for left ankle disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis based on a finding of chronic disease presumptive under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b) due to continuity of symptoms since service separation.