Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's left knee instability, lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis, right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of at least 10 percent each since June 20, 2007.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the Board has dismissed all issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right knee disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional information regarding his employment status and income during the relevant time period.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset in service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to address verification issues and the need for updated medical records. The Veteran's current address must be obtained, along with information on his medical providers who have treated him since April 2015.

Service connection is granted for IBS, GERD, migraine headaches (as secondary to IBS), right knee osteoarthritis (secondary to lumbar spine disability), and CFS (secondary to lumbar spine disability).,Service connection is denied for erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, right knee, and back impairments have been reopened. Service connection has been granted for these conditions as secondary to plantar fasciitis.,Service connection has also been granted for recurrent abdominal pain.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates of service connection for right shoulder impingement with rotator cuff tendonitis, scars associated with the condition, and Crohn's disease are denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for his right shoulder disability is remanded due to a need for new examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected scars is remanded due to the need for a retrospective opinion and clarification regarding the May 2017 VA examiner's report.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for Crohn's disease is remanded due to the need for a new examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. Additional private treatment records are needed.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, and bilateral knee disability due to additional development and addendum opinions.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis and lumbar spine disability were denied increased ratings. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his bilateral foot condition, right index finger condition, and left middle finger condition. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began in service or were related to exposure to cold weather.

The Veteran's right shoulder tendonitis is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his low back disability and provide estimated range of motion measurements during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and need for a new medical opinion regarding service connection for low back disability, including degenerative arthritis, DDD, and spondylosis of the lumbar spine, as secondary to service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for left knee instability is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining x-rays and scheduling an examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and left femoral nerve radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent each. The Veteran's left hip degenerative joint disease status/post total replacement has been granted a temporary total rating from December 3, 2013 to January 31, 2015, and a disability rating of 70 percent from February 1, 2015 to July 23, 2018. The Veteran's left hip degenerative joint disease status/post total replacement has been denied for ratings in excess of 70 percent since July 24, 2018.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his PTSD and TBI, have rendered him unable to dress or undress himself and require regular aid and attendance due to his mental incapacity.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran was granted TDIU based on her service-connected disabilities.