Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right upper extremity, back condition, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for new evaluations of his left shoulder and wrist conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted, including sleep apnea, heart disorder, hypertension, left hip disability, low back disability, and tinnitus. The Board finds the evidence in relative equipoise regarding these claims.,However, several new issues of entitlement to service connection have been identified, such as chest pain, dyspnea, right foot stress fracture, right hip disability, osteoporosis, right shoulder disability, tremors, asthma, blepharitis, lipoma of the chest, and kidney stones. These claims are currently pending for further review.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings and TDIU is being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations, as well as consideration of applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been reopened and granted.,Service connection is established for cervical spine multilevel degenerative disc disease, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear bursitis, glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, and right elbow lateral epicondylitis with degenerative joint disease and bursitis.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examination.

The Board has determined that the claims for a compensable disability rating prior to April 27, 2022, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter, for arthritis of the toes in the right foot, as well as service connection for left hip degenerative arthritis, are remanded due to inadequate examinations and incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 10% from September 28, 2015, through January 9, 2018. Since January 10, 2018, a higher rating of 40% is granted for the degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS). The cervical spine disability remains rated at 10%. Service connection for a left pelvic condition was remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back condition, right hip condition, and left hip condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are granted as service-connected. The Veteran's right foot disability is also granted as service-connected, but the left foot disability remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity sciatic radulopathy, left lower extremity sciatic radulopathy, and cervical spine were granted effective February 4, 1999.,An earlier effective date is not warranted as all claims are based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, DDD and DJD of the lumbar spine, bilateral foot disabilities, and acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder NOS).

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches, cervical spine spondylosis, facet syndrome and cervical myofascial pain syndrome, right shoulder osteoarthritis and labral tear status post arthroscopic repair, thoracolumbar strain, and right knee tendonitis/tendinosis and patellofemoral pain syndrome. The Board found the evidence to be in equipoise as to whether these conditions arose during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for arthritis/osteoarthritis and an eye condition due to incomplete examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disability is secondary to his service-connected right ankle and/or plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that additional evidence has been added to his claims file since the January 2018 statement of the case. The VA must issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) to consider this new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since March 23, 2015. The Board has granted a TDIU effective that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to May 28, 2020 due to inadequate examination findings. The Veteran will need another VA examination to address these issues.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee condition was denied. The Board also found that the Veteran is not entitled to SMC at the housebound rate from July 1, 2014 due to lack of evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment solely due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for temporary total evaluations under 38 C.F.R. � 4.29 and 38 C.F.R. � 4.30 are denied as there is no evidence of hospitalization or surgery with convalescence due to a service-connected disability during the appeal period.