Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated at 10% since July 1, 2013. A separate 10% rating was granted from January 25, 2019.,Right ankle and left ankle disabilities have not met the criteria for a higher rating under current VA regulations.,The Veteran's right foot disability has been rated at 10% since July 1, 2013. No higher rating is warranted due to lack of evidence of more severe impairment.,The Veteran's left foot disability has also been rated at 10% since July 1, 2013. No higher rating is warranted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives regarding a retrospective medical opinion for the Veteran's right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and rating determinations due to inadequate prior examinations. The issues are inextricably intertwined with TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to perform activities of daily living.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of chronicity in service and noting that his current condition did not manifest within one year post-service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's left knee disability was less likely related to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for initial compensable rating for right knee scars and increased rating for degenerative arthritis of the left knee due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's spine disability is being remanded for further development, including consideration of the earlier rating criteria. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the spine disability claim.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent for patella chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis. The Board has found the VA examinations from February, June, and November 2018 to be inadequate due to lack of goniometer use in range of motion testing. The appeal is remanded as there are issues regarding increased ratings for both knees.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The effective date of this grant is not specified as it was based on new evidence received after the original denial.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right and left knee conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on arthritis, ankylosis, or instability.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board has granted entitlement to total rating based on individual employability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) throughout this appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that his current condition is not related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has restored the Veteran's ratings for his left and right knee disabilities from 10% to 30% effective June 1, 2018.

The Board denied service connection for a head injury, to include TBI, and a back disability, to include degenerative arthritis of the spine and intervertebral disc syndrome, finding no credible evidence of current disabilities or in-service injuries that could be linked to these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and evaluation, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus and sleep apnea are granted service connection, while a 50% rating is granted for his degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The issues related to these conditions have been resolved.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and chronic mycotic infection of the left foot.,Service connection was also remanded for bilateral shin splints.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment since September 1, 2017. Effective September 1, 2017, a TDIU is granted.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of plantar fasciitis (claimed as left foot pain) due to a withdrawal request from the appellant. The appeals for higher ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis are remanded.