Shoulder decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that both issues currently on appeal must be returned to the RO for further development and readjudication. The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD will be adjudicated, while his increased evaluation claim for residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right shoulder with retained foreign body, painful scar and mild ulnar sensory neuropathy will also be considered.

The Board has granted a 40 percent initial rating for the veteran's right shoulder disability, which approximates limitation of movement to 25 degrees from the side.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased rating for right ulnar nerve injury, service connection for right shoulder condition, deQuervain's disease, and right carpal tunnel syndrome.

The veteran is granted a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes due to his service-connected disabilities, which include panic attacks, coronary artery disease, hypertension, subacromial bursitis with degenerative joint disease of the shoulders, hemorrhoids, and costochondritis. The combined disability evaluation is 40 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability as secondary to the veteran's left shoulder disability and has awarded a rating of 20 percent for his left shoulder disability.

The veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis of the left knee is granted. The other issues are pending and will be addressed in a future remand.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the RO's rating decisions of September 1971, as the evidence then of record did not support a higher evaluation for the veteran's shell fragment wounds and scar.

The Board has granted service connection for depression as secondary to the service-connected right shoulder disorder. The claimant's current dysthymic disorder is found to be related to his service-connected right shoulder disorder.

The VA determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability, affecting Muscle Group I, does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for rotator cuff tendonitis of the right shoulder and sinusitis are denied as there is no evidence to support a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound is denied as he does not meet the criteria for either benefit.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of an injury to the left index and long fingers are currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that this rating is appropriate given the current findings. The right shoulder disability has also been rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum available under Diagnostic Code 5203.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left shoulder, left wrist, and left ankle disabilities. The current ratings are noncompensable.

The veteran's acne vulgaris and left shoulder scar are both rated, but the left shoulder scar is granted a separate rating. The acne vulgaris remains at a 10% rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an extension of a temporary total evaluation based on convalescence beyond November 30, 1997 due to lack of evidence showing severe postoperative residuals or immobilization by a cast.

The Board has denied service connection for neck and shoulder disorders, headaches, tinnitus, and a low back disorder. The claim for increased rating of chondromalacia of the right knee was also denied.

The Board has determined that there was clear and unmistakable error in denying service connection for left knee disability, low back disability, and bilateral shoulder disability. These conditions are now granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of both shoulders, concluding that there was no evidence to support a finding that his current condition is related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31 was denied because his education and work experience qualified him for suitable employment, despite having a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's bipolar disorder is not related to service, and denied his claim for increased rating of left shoulder disability. The case was remanded for further development.