Shoulder decisions — 2000

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's left shoulder condition, effective from November 1988.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that they were not well-grounded and thus not supported by competent evidence showing a relationship to service.

The Board found no competent medical evidence that the veteran's left shoulder disability or avascular necrosis of the hips resulted from VA hospitalization, medical treatment, or surgical treatment. Therefore, the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was denied.

The Board found that the veteran did not submit competent evidence to show plausible claims for service connection for a right elbow disability, a right shoulder disability, a right ankle disability, a low back disability, and a psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD is not well-grounded, and therefore denied. The other issues listed are also addressed but no rating assigned as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable or higher disability rating.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability is not productive of impairment warranting a higher evaluation than the current 20 percent rating.

The veteran's service-connected eye, shoulder, and clavicle disabilities were not rated higher than the current evaluations. The appeals for increased ratings are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for reopening service connection for bilateral leg, low back, and left shoulder disorders due to a lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left elbow, lumbosacral spine (neck), cervical spine, right hand, and both shoulders. The issues raised were whether new and material evidence had been presented to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for these conditions, as well as his claim for service connection for arthritis of the left hand and left foot.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder impingement and bursitis, tension headaches, and a cervical spine disorder are well grounded. The evidence supports these findings.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for cervical strain. The claim for a right shoulder disorder is denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, residuals of left thumb injury, and residuals of right shoulder injury. The claim for service connection for headaches was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury is not well-grounded because there is no evidence showing that his current condition worsened during his period of active service.

The Board has determined that there is no medical evidence linking the veteran's current conditions of headaches, dizziness, poor circulation, and arthritis of the spine and shoulders to his military service or any incident during such service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability was not well-grounded, and thus denied it.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, respiratory disorder to include asthma, bilateral foot disorder to include bone spurs of the heels, and bilateral ankle disability. Service connection was denied for right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, right knee condition, and headaches.

The VA has determined that the veteran's residuals of left shoulder surgery warrant a 30 percent disability evaluation, effective from December 9, 1997.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for reopening service connection for left knee and right shoulder disorders due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for his right elbow arthritis and service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding that the additional functional limitation of the right arm was due to a stroke in January 1992 rather than the service-connected right elbow arthritis. The VA examiners did not find any evidence supporting secondary service connection.