Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and his need for aid and attendance or housebound status was also denied due to the lack of evidence linking his disabilities to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and bilateral radiculopathy, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As his combined rating is at least 70%, TDIU has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee instability, degenerative disk disease of the lumbosacral spine, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of October 29, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hip disabilities, including thigh impairment, and associated lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to assess the nature and severity of his back disability and ED. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral knee, shoulder, and wrist disabilities has been granted.,Service connection is denied for a left wrist disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the back, shoulder, hand, finger, and knee joints is denied. Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right ankle joint is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disability. The claim will be reviewed with a new VA opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right wrist, hand, and thumb disabilities. The residuals of ulnar collateral ligament tear and ulnar nerve transfer surgery are also granted as secondary to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's back condition (degenerative arthritis, thoracolumbar spine with spinal stenosis) is not related to his military service and was denied. The issue of secondary service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee arthritis, finding that his current condition is not related to active service.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lichen planus and hemorrhoids are remanded due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's neck disability is rated at 20 percent since June 1, 2015. The rating for the back disability remains denied.

PTSD and allergic rhinitis have been granted with specific ratings.,Migraines, eczema (claimed as skin condition), sleep apnea, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine remain pending issues.

The Veteran's left knee disability, rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 5260 for degenerative arthritis, is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment since November 6, 2018. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from that date.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The cases of bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, cervical spine disability, thoracolumbar spondylosis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, and left hip osteoarthritis are all remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability, finding that new and material evidence was received. The claim is now considered granted.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records, particularly from the Columbia VAMC and Orlando VAMC. The Veteran is also asked to provide authorization for private treatment records.

The Veteran's back disability and sciatica are not service-connected as they did not originate in or until years after service, and there is no evidence of a nexus to service.,The Veteran's left eye and right eye disabilities are not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to his active duty.