Other conditions decisions — 2005

The Board has granted service connection for status post cold injury of the right and left feet effective December 5, 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran's deviated nasal septum originated in service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's fracture of the left index finger does not warrant a compensable initial rating, as his range of motion is within normal limits and he does not have ankylosis.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, both on a direct basis and as secondary to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected trochanteric bursitis of the left hip does not warrant a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's gout did not have its onset during active service and is not related to any in-service disease or injury. Therefore, the claim for service connection for gout was denied.

The case is being returned to the VAMC for initial consideration of new VA records submitted after the January 2003 statement of the case.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) denied the veteran's claim for service connection for rectal bleeding, finding that it was not related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The veteran's dysthymic disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, but from October 25, 2004, the rating has been increased to 100 percent.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disorder was denied as there is no evidence of any injury or trauma to her teeth during service, and the condition does not meet the criteria for compensation.

The Board denied service connection for bone spurs of the left and right elbows, finding no evidence of chronic disability following service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's scleroderma did not manifest until many years after service and there is no relationship between his military service and his current condition. As such, the claim for service connection for scleroderma is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran's low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the left mandible was not incurred in or aggravated by military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The claim for service connection as consequent to non-ionizing radiation exposure was well-grounded, but the evidence did not support a finding of causation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, finding no legal basis for an earlier date than April 23, 2001, for a 30 percent evaluation of cold injury residuals of the feet.

The Board found that the veteran's Scheuermann's disease did not preexist service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for perforated bowel, status post colostomy, as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The Board found no evidence linking the condition to either service or service-connected diabetes.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected left third finger fracture did not result in any compensable disability, as his symptoms were noted to be weakness and tenderness without significant deformity or limitation of motion. The claim for a higher rating was therefore denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and ensuring all pertinent evidence is considered.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected arthritis of the right first metatarsal phalangeal joint and hallux limitus was denied. The RO assigned a noncompensable rating prior to March 15, 2002 and a 10 percent rating from May 1, 2002 onwards.