Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has decided that the claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability needs further development and is therefore remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA's prior decisions regarding the Veteran's right acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and dislocation are not fully supported by the evidence, necessitating further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions that did not consider the Veteran's reported symptoms and history.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection for left knee disability, including his claimed osteoarthritis. The decision is pending further investigation and examination.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis with chondromalacia is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis with chondromalacia is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's left knee patellar subluxation/dislocation is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right and left knee disabilities due to incomplete VA treatment records, including from his service period. The case will be reviewed with a focus on obtaining updated medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current knee conditions and whether they are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current back and neck disability is related to his in-service complaints of back pain. The examiner must provide an opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and related conditions, do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as there is insufficient evidence to substantiate that he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Veteran's back and left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis, are granted service connection. A rating of 20 percent is granted for his right ankle disability.

The Board has denied service connection for ulcerative colitis and right wrist degenerative arthritis. The case is remanded to obtain a proper VA examination for the left wrist.,Service connection for ulcerative colitis was denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of groin surgery, headache disability, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine have been granted.,Left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is also granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, specifically addressing secondary and aggravation theories. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are believed to be contributing factors.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current osteoarthritis of the knees clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service. The examiner is asked to provide a clear opinion on this matter.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, and the Board has ordered a remand due to evidence of worsening since the last VA examination. The case must be returned for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and left hip disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation due to reported worsening symptoms. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it may be impacted by the increased rating claims.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU, as the previous VA examinations are incomplete and do not fully satisfy the requirements of Correia and Sharp.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, but the claims for TMJ syndrome, residuals of facial surgeries, right upper extremity neuropathy, and left upper extremity neuropathy are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for osteochondral lesions of her knees and lumbar spine, as well as her breast cancer status post radical mastectomy. The claims are being remanded due to a lack of service personnel records regarding her Army National Guard service from 2008 onwards and outstanding private treatment records from Drs. William Gamel and Catherine Parker. Additionally, the Board requested an examination for the Veteran's breast cancer claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for chondromalacia and degenerative arthritis of the bilateral knees due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's left and right knee osteoarthritis, thoracolumbar spine DJD and strain, and cervical spine DJD have been granted service connection. The initial rating for CFS has also been increased to 60 percent.