Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected knee and ankle disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment starting in May 2009, leading to a TDIU effective date of May 31, 2009.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding treatment records, particularly those from a private neurosurgeon and VA's Veterans Choice Program.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's claims for service connection are not granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and tinnitus. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of July 15, 2010. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

Service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and right leg radiculopathy is granted effective November 5, 2008.,Service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, headaches, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy as secondary to cervical spine degenerative arthritis are all granted effective November 5, 2008.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for amputation of the right ring and little fingers, with degenerative arthritis, was denied. Separate ratings were granted for limitation of motion of the index finger (0%) from April 21, 2015 to November 28, 2021, and for limitation of motion of the long finger (10%).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination, and requests further development including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine and right upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities due to incomplete range of motion measurements and lack of specific information regarding flare-ups.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation. The Board also found that the current back disability is not related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU. The Board referred the case to the Director of Compensation Service for extra-schedular consideration due to his unemployability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right ankle disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's request through his attorney to withdraw all pending appeals.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding his claimed bilateral knee, ankle, foot, hand, and wrist disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to address his service connection claim for an upper back/cervical spine disability, as well as his increased rating claims for various knee disabilities. The issues of service connection and increased ratings are related due to the interrelated nature of the conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a low back disability due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding whether the low back disability is related to service or secondary to the service-connected right knee injury.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral ankle disability and denied service connection for difficulty swallowing, to include as secondary to laryngeal condition.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain is rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded for further development. The issues of service connection for various other disabilities remain pending.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The left eye epiretinal membrane with chorioretinal scar was granted a 10 percent rating from October 31, 2014. For the left knee and right knee conditions, the Veteran's ratings remain unchanged.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to February 13, 2018.