Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and thoracolumbar spine disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during his active military service. The medical evidence does not support a finding of nexus between these conditions and his service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left and right ankle disabilities, as well as a left knee disability, all secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability. The remand requires new VA opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, but remanded the issues of service connection for left hip, right hip, left foot, and right foot disabilities due to unclear diagnoses and lack of medical documentation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning in its previous decision regarding a disability rating for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis prior to November 1, 2019. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical evidence and an examiner will be requested to review the records and provide a retrospective opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various joint disabilities, including right knee arthritis, bilateral hip arthritis, bilateral shoulder degenerative arthritis, and lumbar spine disability. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings and TDIU as the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including neck disability, bilateral shoulder disability, back disability, hip disability, and knee disability due to incomplete development. The Veteran's lay statements and VA treatment records will be reviewed, along with any additional medical evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion and the need for additional development, including a new examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to October 11, 2021. The Board found the most persuasive evidence against a finding that his disabilities prevented him from performing all types of work.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 30 percent for the period from September 19, 2013, to July 1, 2021. For the period after July 1, 2021, a rating greater than 30 percent is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and low back disability due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to December 1, 2015. The Board found that the evidence was not in 'approximate balance' or 'nearly equal' with the evidence supporting his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right foot disability, other than radiculopathy, is related to her service-connected left lower extremity and/or lumbar spine disabilities. As a result, the appeal for service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical rationale for the opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disabilities. The Veteran needs a new examination with an examiner who can provide a thorough medical rationale and consider all lay assertions, including those from his hearing.

The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.,The claim for service connection for headaches, right knee disability, and tinnitus has been reopened and granted to the extent of these issues.,The claim for service connection for a respiratory disability (lung damage) is denied due to lack of current diagnosis or functional impairment.,A rating higher than 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine is remanded as no VA examination was conducted in conjunction with this claim.,Service connection for PTSD is remanded as the incident basis for the claim has not been corroborated.,The claims for service connection for a right hand disability and right wrist disability are remanded due to lack of evidence linking these disabilities to service.

The claim for service connection for a mid-back disability is dismissed. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied, and the claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 2, 2019, and from July 1, 2019, for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left foot disability is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected right foot and ankle disabilities, thus denying the claim.

The Veteran's back disability, including thoracic spine degenerative arthritis and lumbar strain, is rated at 40 percent disabling as of October 15, 2020. The appeal for higher ratings prior to that date has been denied.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and a respiratory condition, to include bronchitis and COPD, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that caused current disabilities.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran's conditions are considered to be due to natural progression over time rather than an event, injury, or disease incurred during service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disorder (osteoarthritis and instability) as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.