Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure of the Veteran to report for a VA examination, and requests that the RO attempt to schedule another one.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot degenerative arthritis and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing whether his pre-existing conditions were aggravated during honorable active duty.

Service connection for PTSD is granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (low back disability) is remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues are related to arthritis and chronic body pain in various joints, but the appeal is not about exposure to specific hazards.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence had been submitted, and the denial for the claim of entitlement to service connection for knee joint osteoarthritis is confirmed. The Veteran's left knee condition was not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the spine, is related to service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in reopening the claim for service connection and a need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus grants total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent from May 6, 2019. The rating was granted as the condition met the criteria for a 40 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her cervical spine condition due to inadequate examination findings regarding flare-ups and functional limitations.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection claim is pending.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for ankylosis of the left fifth finger was granted. The Board also remanded his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence in the November 2018 VA audio examination.

The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for knee disabilities due to conflicting or incomplete information from a recent examination. Additional examinations are needed to provide clearer and more consistent information on the Veteran’s disability picture.