The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the toes is granted as secondary to his service-connected onychomycosis. The rating for his onychomycosis remains remanded due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding the use of Kenalog.
The deciding factor: The examiner concluded that the arthritis diagnosed in December 2015 was more likely caused by the altered gait resulting from the Veteran's service-connected onychomycosis, which led to antalgic gait and subsequent bilateral arthritis of the toes.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease of the toes, onychomycosis of the toenails
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19133608
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent disability rating for onychomycosis of the bilateral toes, as the condition results in painful discolored and thickened toenails affecting five or more toes.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent rating for onychomycosis of the toenails from December 22, 2015, as the Veteran's symptoms were commensurate with this rating.
- Granted
The Board granted restoration of a 30 percent disability rating for onychomycosis of the toenails, but no higher.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear information about whether the Veteran is already being compensated for onychomycosis as secondary to a service-connected disability, and because another medical opinion is needed regarding whether the onychomycosis is proximately due to or aggravated by his type 2 diabetes or peripheral vascular disease.
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