Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient consideration of his lay statements regarding in-service injuries and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's back disability was aggravated by service. The Veteran seeks service connection for a back disability, and the VA examiner concluded that it is less likely than not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, and grants a TDIU with a combined rating of 80 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA opinions and insufficient evidence. The Veteran's reports of in-service injuries and post-service symptoms will be considered.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and osteoarthritis of bilateral knees as secondary to service-connected pes planus.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities (including pes planus), is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates due to outstanding records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis was rated at 10 percent from December 1, 2013, through January 10, 2016, and at 20 percent from January 11, 2016, to October 10, 2021. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis with IVDS was rated at 40 percent since October 11, 2021.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has not met the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board has remanded his claim for an increased rating. His RLE radiculopathy is currently rated at 20 percent since July 31, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disorder, but remanded the claims for service connection of other conditions including a right hand disorder, right foot disorder, right hip disorder, and low back disorder due to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to her service-connected left knee disability, including if it was aggravated by that condition.

The Veteran's neck disability, including fracture C5 compression with degenerative arthritis and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board denied a higher rating as the evidence does not support limitation of motion or IVDS that would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for depressive disorder, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, or knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his left shoulder disability was denied as the current symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 17, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and a cervical spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his in-service injuries. The claims were previously denied due to lack of evidence establishing continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his employment after April 2014 was not substantially gainful and he did not have physical or mental limitations preventing him from obtaining or engaging in substantially gainful employment prior to April 2014.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with its prior remand directives and has therefore ordered the VA to make additional efforts to obtain the Veteran's missing separation examination. The issues of service connection for a pelvic disorder, hypertension, pes planus, and invertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are all remanded due to the need for further development regarding range of motion estimates. The issue of TDIU prior to September 12, 2019 is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these other issues.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining updated VA treatment records, determining the nature and etiology of any bilateral hearing loss, identifying any current left shoulder disability, providing an addendum medical opinion regarding the breast condition, and assessing the severity of service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's left foot disorder is not secondary to his service-connected left ankle disorder, and there is no other evidence linking the condition to his active duty.,There is insufficient medical evidence to determine whether the Veteran's current left ankle disorder was aggravated by post-service occupational duties or an intercurrent event.