Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for service connection for Bell's palsy and rheumatoid arthritis were denied. The claim for an earlier effective date for the tinnitus rating was granted, with a 10% rating effective from April 24, 2003.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee condition, but denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis. The claim for a respiratory disorder (bronchitis) is remanded.

The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and the conditions contributing to his death were not shown to be related to his military service or service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's eye problems, condition causing edema to the entire body, and rheumatoid arthritis were not incurred or aggravated by service-connected conditions. The claim for these issues was denied.

The Board has granted the veteran separate 30 percent evaluations for instability of both knees, in addition to the currently assigned 10 percent ratings for limitation of motion. The current evaluations are considered adequate as they account for functional impairment due to pain and weakness.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, emphysema, COPD, glaucoma of the right eye, glaucoma of the left eye, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis or degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine. The reasons were that there was no current diagnosis of these conditions in the record.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral neuritis, heart disease, and Koch's disease due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current rheumatoid arthritis is not related to her military service and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorder. The appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for joint problems and body aches, to include rheumatoid arthritis is also granted.

The Board found that the veteran does not have rheumatoid arthritis or erythema nodosum due to disease or injury which was incurred in service, and it is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has denied service connection for generalized arthritis and seizure disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a link to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and rheumatoid arthritis of the knees, as new and material evidence has been submitted. The claim for left ear hearing loss is denied due to lack of evidence of current disability meeting threshold requirements. Tinnitus was not incurred in military service. Diabetes mellitus, Type II, was not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, a bilateral eye disorder, anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis. The evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to his active military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his rheumatoid arthritis was denied as the current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, skin rash (claimed as affecting the hands and neck), rheumatoid arthritis (claimed as arthritis of the hands), and tinnitus due to lack of verified in-service stressors for PTSD, absence of medical evidence linking these conditions to service, and passage of time since discharge.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of rheumatoid arthritis and spondylitis, finding no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions. The Board also found that there was not a link between the current condition and service.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete medical records and the need for further examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for spondylolisthesis, L4-5, Grade I, with bilateral pars defect, L4 and radiculopathy of the left leg. The RO had previously granted a temporary total rating based on convalescence.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for his claims of increased ratings for ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis of the lumbar, cervical, and thoracic spine. The TDIU claim is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has determined that the veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is not related to his active duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.