Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy in his right leg, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and evaluation of his service-connected disabilities, including left hip disability, lumbar spine disability, residuals of a hand injury, status-post orbital fracture, and PTSD. The effective date for the establishment of service connection for left hip disability remains June 11, 2018.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion by a rheumatologist to determine the current nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, including a request for a TERA specific opinion pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1168(a).

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for various conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal is remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The issues of increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of lower extremities, cervical spine disability, and radiculopathy of upper extremities are being returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ankle rheumatoid arthritis, left hand rheumatoid arthritis, and right hand rheumatoid arthritis have been denied. The highest schedular rating of 20 percent is currently assigned for each condition.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraine headaches and migrating rheumatoid arthralgia, joint pain were granted. The case is remanded for additional development regarding the claim for migrating rheumatoid arthralgia, joint pain.

The Veteran's claims for right-hand and left-hand conditions have been denied as there is no current evidence of a diagnosed condition.,For the dental condition, the Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish that he has lost teeth due to trauma or disease. The AOJ must obtain an examination to determine if such loss exists.

The Veteran's increased ratings for piriformis syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine and radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity associated with piriformis syndrome are granted for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations regarding his claimed conditions, including bronchitis, bladder dysfunction, chronic pain, cervical spine strain, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy. The claims will be further evaluated based on the results of these examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and exposure. The Veteran is requested to provide more information about his exposures, and a VA examination will be conducted to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's autoimmune disorder and related conditions are unclear, and he has not been examined to determine their etiology. The case is being remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for migraine headaches and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis due to additional development being necessary.

Service connection is granted for spinal stenosis and IVDS, bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and depression.,Service connection is denied for gout.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis of the left hand are granted as secondary to his service-connected right hand condition.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, depressive disorder, and secondary polysubstance use disorder is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease, hiatal hernia, migraines and migraine variants, right knee chondromalacia and medial meniscus tear, and rheumatoid arthritis (presumed due to Agent Orange exposure), prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete development of records and examination reports. The Veteran's service connection claims for Graves' disease, eye irritation, rheumatoid arthritis, and high cholesterol are being returned for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current knee symptoms are caused or aggravated by his service-connected foot disabilities. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis (associated with left knee impairment), and rheumatoid arthritis. The appeal is remanded to obtain updated evidence regarding the severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence obtained from the Department of Defense and deficiencies in previous medical opinions. The case is now pending further examination and reconsideration.