Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that new and relevant evidence did not support readjudication of these claims. The TDIU claim was also denied as the Veteran's single service-connected condition (hiatal hernia) did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for obesity, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, right knee osteoarthritis status post total knee arthroplasty, left foot disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, lumbar spine disorder, sleep apnea, and hypertension have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's appeals for an earlier effective date and service connection were dismissed due to concurrent elections under the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right knee disorder and his service, as well as its relation to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the appellant's Obstructive Sleep Apnea, finding that it is proximately due to obesity caused by his service-connected left knee osteoarthritis and right knee condition.

The Veteran's cervical spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, lumbar spine, TBI, and tension headaches are all found to have been incurred during his active-duty service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, which includes strain and degenerative arthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion remains limited to 70 degrees at worst.

Your appeals for service connection and TDIU have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals in October 2024.

Service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted.,The Veteran's right knee disability, secondary to service-connected right ankle and hip disabilities, is also granted.

The Board dismissed the appeal of a reduction in rating from 100 percent to 30 percent for shoulder degenerative arthritis, status-post reverse total shoulder replacement because the decision was not a final agency action and thus could not be appealed.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, has been granted a 40 percent rating since November 19, 2018.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in combination, render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to August 24, 2021.

The Veteran's PTSD, low back disability, and tinnitus have been granted service connection based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent from December 29, 2020 to August 1, 2022. The Board has remanded the issue of an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. Effective dates have been granted for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and sleep apnea (OSA), but not for tinnitus.