Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the nature, etiology, and current state of the Veteran's claimed arthritis disability. The Veteran should be provided with a VA examination to determine if his arthritis is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for fibromyalgia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and assigned a 40 percent rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for a left knee disorder as no new and material evidence was submitted, despite additional VA medical records being received.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints and the middle back with ankylosing spondylitis of the spine was denied as there was no evidence showing severe impairment of health or severely incapacitating exacerbations occurring 4 or more times a year, nor unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues related to Haglund's deformity of the bilateral feet, which is claimed as secondary to nerve damage of the bilateral feet. The other service connection claims are also impacted by this issue and must be addressed together.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of sleep apnea and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities as due to a lumbar spine disorder. The claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have all been denied. The Board found that the current diagnoses are not related to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened and is granted.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, and pericarditis with syncope as due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness related to Persian Gulf War service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims. The Board also remanded one issue regarding a cervical spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the elbows, wrists, hands and fingers as well as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). The Veteran's claims were based on his belief that these conditions were related to his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, right shoulder disorder, and chronic respiratory disorder. Service connection was granted for headaches related to PTSD, TBI, and tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, fibromyalgia, bilateral elbow disability, fatigue, hypertension, incontinence, thyroid disease, and migraines. Service connection was granted for menstrual issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and to obtain missing medical records. The primary issues are the rating of bronchial asthma and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, which may be related to his asthma.