Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded two issues related to service connection for degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the right knee due to outstanding VA treatment records from 2013.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability and remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot disability other than calluses, to include plantar fasciitis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate development and failure to comply with previous remands. The Veteran's right shoulder condition is being reviewed again for proper consideration.

The Board has decided that the evidence is insufficient to determine if the Veteran's current lower back disabilities are related to his service, and thus remands the case for further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of left hip osteoarthritis, finding that it was aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and a separate 10 percent rating for limitation of extension has been granted. The low back disability remains rated at 40 percent prior to March 8, 2019, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 22, 2017. The Board denied the TDIU claims as there was no single service-connected disability (excluding multiple myeloma rated 100%) rendering the Veteran unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from December 22, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, bilateral lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and bilateral lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy due to outstanding treatment records and conflicting evidence regarding the presence of radiculopathy and intervertebral disc syndrome throughout the period on appeal.

Effective November 30, 2011, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied service connection for right hip, left hip, right knee, and left knee conditions as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after active service.,Service connection was also denied for a neck condition due to the lack of in-service diagnosis and no link to service.

The Veteran's hypertension and left foot condition have been restored to their previous ratings, while the Veteran has been granted increased ratings for these conditions. He also received service connection for secondary conditions related to his left foot condition and a TDIU based on his disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his range of motion does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including osteoarthritis with meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tear, instability, and locking, is now rated at a separate 20 percent for the locking condition effective April 20, 2015.

The Veteran's low back condition and various knee conditions have been granted service connection. The left knee rating has been restored to 20%, separate ratings for ankylosis and instability have been granted, and a higher rating for the meniscal condition prior to December 18, 2019 has been granted. However, a higher rating for the left knee status post ACL repair from December 18, 2019 is denied.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the left wrist and a back disability (lumbar spine and thoracic spondylosis) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition has been reopened due to new evidence. Other issues have also been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's back disability is remanded for a supplemental VA opinion to determine if it had its onset in or was otherwise related to his active duty service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating of 20 percent or higher for his left shoulder condition due to lack of error in law or fact, as the decision was final.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, bilateral knee disability, and respiratory airway disease (COPD).

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis as secondary to his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.