Other conditions Board decisions

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for L5 spondylolysis from October 3, 2000.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting Osgood-Schlatter disease did not undergo an increase in severity during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for the residuals of shell fragment wounds to the right forearm was denied. The issue regarding a compensable rating for the left forearm and right lower leg wounds were also denied.,PTSD benefits, including an increased rating from 10% to 70%, effective April 6, 2003, were granted. However, there is no effective date earlier than April 6, 2003, for TDIU.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for secondary service connection for cardiovascular disease and cerebral vascular accident, finding that there is no competent medical evidence of residuals of stroke or a lacunar infarct. The Board also found that the greater weight of the competent medical evidence of record is against finding that the veteran has cardiovascular disease which is related to service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, as secondary to PTSD. The veteran's PTSD was found to be the only service-connected disability and rated at 70 percent.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have additional disability due to treatment at a VA facility in October 1996, and thus is not entitled to compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The veteran's foot calluses have been assigned the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The evidence does not show that his condition has required hospitalization or caused marked interference with employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to issues regarding service connection for PTSD. The veteran served in Vietnam but did not engage in combat with the enemy, so his stressors need to be verified.

The Board has ordered a VA examination to determine if the veteran's bronchiectasis was aggravated by service, and to assess whether there is current disability related to this condition.

The veteran's claims for compensation benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for disabilities manifested by back pain, a circulatory disorder, and anemia are all denied except for the claim for compensation benefits for anemia, which is granted.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities rated at 40 percent combined do not meet the criteria for vocational rehabilitation benefits under Chapter 31 of Title 38, United States Code.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for refractive error and entitlement to special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.

The Board found no evidence of an ulcerated esophagus in service or within the presumptive period after discharge. The veteran's current ulcers are not presumed to have been incurred during service, and there is insufficient medical evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lower intestinal disorder and an anorectal disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions as being related to military service.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, finding that there was no claim prior to December 30, 1997.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected right chronic rotator cuff injury, effective from the date of the initial decision. The claim for hearing loss in the left ear was denied as not related to service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for bronchiectasis with pseudomonas colonization is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by cardiac arrhythmia, which occurred during service and is considered a direct result of his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for right carotid artery stenosis and service connection for atrial fibrillation, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his service.

The Board denied a rating higher than 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a right temporomandibular articulation contusion with spur formation and traumatic arthritis, finding that the disability picture is already contemplated by the rating schedule.