Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of the TDIU claim. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include left leg pain, low back strain, and rheumatoid arthritis (claimed as venous thrombosis).

The Veteran's claimed conditions, including degenerative joint disease and arthritis of systemic or infectious origin, were not incurred in service. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and date of onset of rheumatoid arthritis and the severity of PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed rheumatoid disease is not causally or etiologically related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional evidence submitted by the appellant, which was not previously considered. The claim will be reviewed again and a supplemental statement of the case will be issued.

The Board finds that the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is presumed to have been incurred due to active service, and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed bilateral leg disability, including radiculopathy. Therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for metatarsalgia and degenerative joint disease of the left foot, finding that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected hammertoes. The claim for rheumatoid arthritis is denied as there is no current evidence of this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to deficiencies in a previous VA examination.

The claim for service connection for COPD was reopened, but the Veteran's death is not considered to be caused by VA care.,The Veteran died from aspiration pneumonia due to pulmonary emphysema. The MRSA infection found on routine surveillance nasal swabs did not result in active infection and does not appear to have contributed to his death.

The Veteran's diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis was not shown to have onset during or be causally related to his period of active military service, and the Board denied service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's current rheumatoid arthritis and swelling in joints did not have its onset during service or due to a service-connected disability, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disability is manifested by no more than slight instability, and her rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints does not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder and ganglion cyst have been found to be related to his active duty service. The left leg disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, acquired psychiatric disorder (Major depressive disorder), sleep apnea, bruxism, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) are not currently shown or related to the Veteran's service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity and residuals of a fracture of the left patella with osteoarthritis of the left knee, based on limitation of motion.

The Board has determined that the evidence submitted since the April 1996 rating decision is not new and material, and thus does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board finds that rheumatoid arthritis did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty, including presumed exposure to herbicides. Therefore, the claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, upper and lower extremities, is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred in service, within one year of separation from service, or related to any incident of service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the hands and bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's hidradenitis suppurativa, keloid on the right breast, hypopigmented keloid on the right lower extremity, atopic dermatitis, left knee chondromalacia patella, and right knee chondromalacia patella have all been evaluated as not meeting the criteria for higher ratings. The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxiety disorder and PTSD symptoms has also not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (tinnitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and left ear hearing loss) do not render him incapable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.