Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right bicep, and neck disabilities as secondary to lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate medical opinions regarding causation and aggravation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for status post total right knee replacement as secondary to his service-connected internal derangement of left knee, status post revised total knee replacement.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding no in-service disease or injury of the knees and insufficient evidence to establish a link between current disability and active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the previous VA examination, which did not address all theories of service connection and potential aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and left knee disability due to inadequate reasoning in the VA examination reports. The examiner is instructed to provide a fully reasoned opinion addressing the Veteran's service connection claims based on his competent statements regarding in-service injuries.

The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for urinary incontinence as a neurological manifestation of his service-connected lumbosacral strain has been denied. The Board found that the medical evidence does not support a finding that the urinary incontinence is related to his back disability. For the TDIU claim, the Veteran meets the schedular criteria but fails to provide sufficient evidence regarding the economic component as detailed by VA regulations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hip osteoarthritis as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities, finding that the arthritis was caused or aggravated by these conditions.

The Board previously denied a higher rating for the Veteran's low back disability, but now remands the case due to potential functional loss equivalent to unfavorable ankylosis.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis are presumed related to his active-duty service.,The Veteran's neck disability, bilateral pes planus, sleep apnea, chronic hypersomnolence, chronic fatigue, chronic diarrhea, chronic memory loss, and mood disorder (due to an undiagnosed illness) may be due to exposure to environmental hazards during his Gulf War service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an opinion regarding the Veteran's right foot disabilities, specifically his 2007 heel fracture and 2016 metatarsal fracture. The remand is due to the failure of the VA examiner to address these issues as per the May 2022 Board directive.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new examination to determine if his lumbosacral strain disability results in the functional equivalent of ankylosis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to January 20, 2020 do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. From January 20, 2020, the Veteran has a combined schedular rating of 100 percent and TDIU cannot be granted on the basis of one service-connected disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine on a direct basis.,However, the Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a bilateral eye condition (secondary to service-connected Meniere's disease).

The Veteran's right foot disability is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and information about the January 2017 VA examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his active military service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his right shoulder disability and for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being remanded because the March 2020 VA examination report did not comply with the holding in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016), and there were pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors regarding obtaining private treatment records.

The Board has determined that the VA Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) decision denying eligibility for PCAFC benefits was inadequate, as it did not address whether the Veteran requires personal care services each time he completes one or more activities of daily living (ADLs). The case is being remanded to conduct an updated medical review.

The Board has determined that there were duty to assist errors prior to the January 2020 rating decision on appeal and remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities has been granted, resulting in special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's Trauma and Stressor Related Disorder is now rated at 70 percent, effective July 1, 1996.,Service connection for Right Knee Degenerative Arthritis was granted with an effective date of July 1, 1996.