Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, rheumatoid arthritis, back problems, and knee problems have been denied as there is no evidence to support these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected disabilities were granted, with the effective date being May 20, 2008.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, erectile dysfunction, a lung disability, and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The appellant's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence or medical opinion.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability. However, he had been rated as 100% disabled for over ten years prior to his death and thus qualifies for DIC benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the issues of service connection and TDIU.

The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis and left hip replacement are granted as service-connected. The Board finds that the Veteran's back and neck disorders, if present, are at least as likely as not due to her service-connected rheumatoid arthritis.

The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis was initially rated as 20 percent disabling prior to February 11, 2009 and increased to 40 percent disabling since then.,The Veteran's left axilla scar was initially noncompensable prior to February 11, 2009 and subsequently rated at 10 percent disabling.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar strain does not warrant a higher than 20 percent disability rating. The Veteran was denied entitlement to TDIU due to lack of meeting schedular criteria for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the appellant's claims of service connection for arthritis and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for anxiety disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, of multiple joints. The evidence did not support a finding that the current arthritic conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of rheumatic fever, finding that new and material evidence had not been received.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, osteopenia of the fingers, arthritis of the toes, and degenerative or osteoporosis of the spine are granted as these conditions are considered to be radiogenic diseases related to his exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for complications from a right total elbow arthroplasty, including infection and worsening rheumatoid arthritis. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the VA's treatment was at fault.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is being remanded due to the need for a more definitive opinion regarding its etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral elbow and hand pain, finding that his rheumatoid arthritis is not related to his military service. The Board also found no evidence of a neck disorder or bilateral knee disorder in service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including rheumatoid/osteoarthritis and peripheral neuropathy. The claims are not yet resolved.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.