Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are rated as denied, with the right knee receiving a higher rating than the left.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral foot disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronic conditions in service or within presumptive periods. The Board also found that any current disabilities were not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition, but remanded the issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with MDD, service connection for cervical spine condition, and TDIU due to lack of recent medical records and outdated examination reports.,Further, the Board found that there is at least an approximate balance of evidence regarding whether the Veteran's lower back condition is related to his active-duty service.

The Veteran's left knee instability is granted a separate initial disability rating of 10 percent from September 13, 2010, through December 1, 2011. However, the combined rating for disabilities of an extremity cannot exceed the rating for amputation at the elective level due to the 'amputation rule', thus preventing any higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine on an extraschedular basis was denied. The Board found that the disability picture is adequately described by the existing schedular criteria, and thus, no extraschedular evaluation was warranted. Additionally, the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities from June 1, 2022, was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and lack of medical evidence supporting the Veteran's assertions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability was granted a 70 percent rating as of April 2, 2019. The right knee instability and limitation of flexion were both granted the maximum allowable ratings (20% and 10%, respectively). However, the left knee osteoarthritis did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's sleep disturbances, specifically whether they are related to his service-connected bilateral knee disability or any environmental exposures in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's low back disorder, diagnosed as degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine with spine hemangioma, is granted service connection.,The Veteran's left knee disorder, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, is granted service connection. The right knee disorder resulting in total knee replacement is also granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability and a thoracolumbar spine disability. The right ankle sprain is considered presumptively incurred in service, while the thoracolumbar spine condition is presumed to have existed prior to service.,Both conditions are now recognized as being related to military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine is being remanded due to inadequate examination and lack of information about flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been withdrawn and are dismissed. A TDIU is granted, and SMC at the housebound rate is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee instability and left knee strain with osteoarthritis and patellofemoral chondromalacia are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions addressing functional loss and severity of his disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected lumbar spine disability is denied. For the period of March 12, 2015, to February 1, 2016, the Veteran's right lower extremity femoral radiculopathy was rated at 10 percent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and degenerative disc disease with anterior spurring of the cervical spine, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these disabilities were incurred during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability and his left knee osteoarthritis, as well as whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing his bilateral knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent from December 5, 2016 to May 12, 2023. The rating for his left and right knee strains remains at 10 percent throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetic neuropathy, diabetes mellitus type II, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, hearing loss, tinnitus, and sciatic nerve radiculopathy, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his TBI and tinnitus, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to cognitive impairments and hearing loss.