Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2008

The veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a sternum injury due to lack of evidence supporting an in-service injury and current disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis, to include rheumatoid arthritis, as there was no evidence of a definitive diagnosis and no link between the condition and his active duty service.

The veteran's left ear hearing loss disability was determined to be related to an injury from a mine explosion in service, while other conditions were denied service connection.

The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and a lung disorder, finding no evidence of these conditions during service or within one year of discharge, and no link to service exposure.

The Board found no evidence of arthritis in the veteran's hands and feet during his active duty service, and concluded that any current arthritis is not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral hips, as there is no current medical diagnosis of this condition.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of higher initial evaluations for various service-connected conditions are also pending.

The veteran's mandible fracture is resolved, and he does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,His lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent. The evidence fails to show that his current condition warrants a higher rating based on orthopedic manifestations or associated neurologic abnormalities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for rheumatoid arthritis affecting his hips, ankles, and feet. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's back disability, specifically spondylolisthesis at L5-S1, was rated as 20 percent disabling prior to August 1, 2004. Since then, the rating has been increased to 40 percent effective from August 1, 2004.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed rheumatoid arthritis conditions, specifically left wrist, shoulder, and ankle, were not incurred or aggravated during active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding of chronicity or presumptive service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic lumbar muscle strain, finding that the veteran initially manifested this condition during active service. The other issues of service connection are not addressed as they have been remanded.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, pulmonary tuberculosis, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis as new and material evidence was not presented to reopen these claims.

The Board found that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions related to his military service and denied all claims.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis was denied as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and fatigue, finding that there was no evidence of these conditions being incurred in or aggravated by military service. The claim for nonservice-connected pension was also denied as the veteran did not meet the criteria for permanent and total disability due to his disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety disorder/PTSD/memory loss, and residuals of a burn injury to the left eye as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for a right hip disorder, including rheumatoid arthritis. However, the evidence does not support that the current condition is related to any incident of service.

The veteran's claimed disabilities, including rheumatoid arthritis and orthopedic conditions affecting the left knee and right foot, colon polyps, Peyronie's disease, kidney stones, inguinal hernias, and cataracts, were not found to be related to his service or exposure to herbicides during his Vietnam-era service.