Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted service connection for various conditions including a left knee disability, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, IBS, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected lumbar arthritis, radiculopathy, right knee DJD, and left knee DJD.

The Board has remanded the claims for rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension as secondary to rheumatoid arthritis due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic joint pain and a low back disorder due to insufficient medical evidence on the record investigating possible relationships between his current conditions and his in-service diagnoses.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar strain, left knee disability, right knee disability, and radiculopathy of the lower extremities due to inadequate examinations and incomplete opinions. The issues include determining appropriate evaluations, service connection, and whether the disabilities are related to military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and failure to consider a recent VA opinion. The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is being reviewed again with new evidence.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis conditions, as the previous VA examination reports were inadequate and did not provide sufficient information regarding flare-ups and range of motion during such events.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to his incarceration, and also because of the inextricability with other service-connected disabilities. The specific issues are related to rating adjustments for back and radiculopathy conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU rating. The cases of right heel spurs and left heel spurs are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and review of his claims, including the need for a VA mental health examination and an arthritis evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, finding that the condition had its onset during active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted for special monthly compensation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been reopened and granted. The claims for Meniere’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease/Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include generalized anxiety disorder), cirrhosis of the liver, a left shoulder disability, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity are all remanded.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for chronic headaches and arthritis, bilateral hands was denied as the new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.,The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C was denied because there is no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnosis and service. The March 2017 VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s hepatitis C is not at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral vision issues and sleep apnea were denied because there is no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnoses and service. The March 2017 VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s vision issues are not at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's claim for erectile dysfunction was denied because there is no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnosis and service. The March 2017 VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s erectile problems do not have their onset during active service.,The Veteran's claim for prostate cancer was denied because there is no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnosis and service. The March 2017 VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s prostate issues are not at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and anxiety due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are related to a period of active duty training (ACDUTRA). The case is being returned for further development, including an examination to determine if rheumatoid arthritis had its onset during ACDUTRA.