Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2004

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection and assigned a 10 percent disability rating for his degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine as well as mild osteoarthritis of the facets of L4-L5 and L5-S1, with a history of congenitally small spinal canal. The veteran's claim is not about service connection at all.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a foot disability due to new and material evidence submitted by the veteran, but it remains unclear whether this condition is related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for evaluations greater than 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of his left and right knees, finding that the evidence did not support such a rating.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine was incurred as a consequence of active service and is not related to his left-sided paralysis. The claim for left-sided paralysis remains denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's right foot disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's osteoarthritis and peptic ulcer disease were not incurred in or aggravated by military service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board found that the veteran's residuals of a service-connected right ankle fracture injury do not warrant a higher disability rating than ten percent.

The veteran's claim for arthritis of the hands was denied as he does not have this condition.,Service connection was granted for post-operative residuals of a medial meniscal tear of the left knee with arthritis, and assigned a 10% evaluation effective October 1, 1994. The dorsal and lumbar spine disorder was recharacterized as arthritis of the lumbosacral spine with arthritis of the dorsal spine by x-ray evidence only, and assigned a 10% evaluation effective October 16, 1997.,Service connection for bronchial asthma was granted, and assigned a 30% rating effective October 1, 1994.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted a 20 percent evaluation for the left knee disability from July 1, 1998. A separate 10 percent evaluation was granted for degenerative arthritis of the left knee.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and adjudicative action due to issues related to service connection for osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type 1 as a result of exposure to herbicides and neuropathy of the feet and spine and degenerative arthritis of the entire spine.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his employability.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a lumbosacral disc syndrome related to service or due to, or aggravated by his service-connected osteoarthritis of the thoracolumbar spine. As such, the claim for an increased rating was denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and to ensure that all notification and development required by the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 are completed.