Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis of the spine and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a link between his in-service injury and current disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability is granted, but the issue of determining the likely cause of any right knee disability remains pending and requires further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hip, shoulder, knee, ankle, and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are not related to active service or any incident of service, including as due to a service-connected lumbosacral spine disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and several knee disabilities. The Veteran's VA treatment records from Little Rock VAMC are to be obtained, as well as any recent VA treatment records. A new VA examination is needed to determine if any current lumbar spine disability is related to active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his bilateral knee disabilities and any functional loss due to flare-ups.

The Board has granted a separate 20 percent evaluation for residuals of a right knee meniscal repair and granted evaluations of 20 percent for posttraumatic arthritis in both ankles throughout the appeal period. The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis is denied, as are his right knee osteoarthritis and right ankle posttraumatic arthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability and reopened the claim for allergic rhinitis, finding new evidence that supports the Veteran's claim.

Service connection for osteoarthritis in the right knee is granted.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder impingement with underlying glenohumeral osteoarthritis, finding that the condition was incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and requests for a new VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of all joints, bilateral knee disorder, and right foot disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's LLE peripheral neuropathy is rated at 10 percent since October 30, 2015.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right ankle and right metatarsal is granted as service-connected. The Board also remanded issues regarding his meningioma, pulmonary embolism, aspergilloma (claimed as brain fungus), and brain abscess.,For the remaining issues, a new VA opinion is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has decided to remand two cases related to the Veteran's left lower extremity disabilities due to insufficient evidence from a previous examination.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis and lower extremity radiculopathy are rated at 40 percent since February 9, 2010. The right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 20 percent from February 9, 2010 to September 20, 2017, with the ratings for both conditions being denied as more than 20 percent since September 21, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions.