Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right wrist disability and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance was denied. The Board found that the current 10 percent rating adequately reflects the Veteran's symptoms, including pain, weakness, and limitation of motion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities throughout the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate examination and need for clarification on retrospective range of motion estimates.

The Veteran's service connection for OSA as secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorder is granted. The appeal seeking restoration of a 20% rating for lumbar spine disorder, effective May 1, 2018, is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% rating for his right middle finger condition is denied as the increase in severity was not factually ascertainable within one year of his July 30, 2014 claim.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, neck, and foot disabilities. The Veteran's current conditions are deemed to have been incurred during his military service.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 30, 2016 for a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's back disability. The claim for increased rating is granted as it meets the criteria for a higher rating since that date. However, the claim for TDIU was denied due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities not meeting the threshold requirement.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of a preexisting condition, and that the current diagnosis is not related to service or any in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for chronic sinusitis with allergic rhinitis was denied, while his claim for a 20 percent rating for plantar fasciitis with degenerative arthritis throughout the claims period was granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the complexity of his medical history and the need for further examination to differentiate between symptoms attributable to his left ankle disability and other service-connected or non-service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's low back condition is rated at 40 percent effective November 16, 2021. The rating for left knee instability and right knee instability are both increased to 20 percent effective August 27, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his congenital vertebral anomaly (transitional S1 vertebra) and secondary service connection for his degenerative arthritis of the spine and intervertebral disc syndrome, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of a preexisting condition that worsened during service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his service-connected skin condition and right knee disability.

The Board has implicitly denied service connection for lumbar degenerative arthritis/lumbosacral strain on a direct basis. The Veteran's representative requested that the decision be vacated due to an error in not addressing this issue, and the motion is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are deemed to have rendered him unemployable since November 2008, and the Board has referred the issue of TDIU prior to May 9, 2014, on an extraschedular basis for further consideration.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hand degenerative arthritis, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left wrist degenerative arthritis, and left index finger condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The cases are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher disability rating and TDIU have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back and left knee conditions, do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings for his left knee disabilities is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability.