Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hip, knee, and lumbar spine disabilities on a secondary basis to her service-connected PTSD. The disabilities are caused by obesity, which was also caused by her service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right leg and right knee disorders due to inadequate VA medical examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at a 30 percent rating effective May 17, 2023. Prior to that date, the disability was not rated higher than 20 percent.

The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for bilateral knee patellofemoral osteoarthritis and depression was granted. He is also granted service connection for depressive disorder secondary to his bilateral knee disability.,Service connection for OSA was not established as the evidence did not show a relationship between the Veteran's military service and his current condition.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities, as well as entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU). The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are rated 10 percent prior to March 31, 2021. The Board has not yet determined the appropriate ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for additional examinations to clarify the current severity of his knee and ankle disabilities.,During the December 2021 Board hearing, the Veteran reported experiencing instability in both knees and right ankle, which may require further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, left knee osteoarthritis, and TDIU due to inappropriately assigned ratings and unresolved issues regarding service connection.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and intervertebral disc syndrome is currently rated at 20 percent, which does not meet his claim for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient private medical records from the Veteran's family doctor, which were not obtained prior to 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment prior to November 2, 2021. The Board granted an extraschedular TDIU effective October 7, 2014.

Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and spinal stenosis is granted. The Veteran's left knee disorder, which resulted in a 60 percent rating from April 1, 2011, has been found to be causally related to his service-connected back disorder.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including back, neck, knee, shoulder, and esophageal conditions, have been granted. The issues of service connection for a left knee meniscal tear, right hand disability, left hand disability, fatigue (undiagnosed illness), and memory loss (undiagnosed illness) are remanded.

The Board has restored a 50% rating for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis, bilateral feet, with bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis from September 28, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether this condition began during active service.

The Board denied service connection for bronchial asthma, COPD, bilateral hearing loss, and a bilateral eye disability due to lack of evidence of current disabilities during the pendency of the claim.,Service connection was also denied for degenerative arthritis as it had already been approved by the Regional Office.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been referred to the RO. The SMC claim is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these pending claims.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of August 30, 2016 for the service connection of left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's psoriasis, right shoulder osteoarthritis, and sinusitis are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right shoulder condition (excluding osteoarthritis), to include tendinopathy and superior labral fraying, is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's low back condition is remanded for further examination and opinion.