Shoulder decisions — 2003

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his postoperative left shoulder disorder, currently rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and an increased rating for his lumbar spine condition. The claim for an earlier effective date was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's right hip replacement with arthralgia, arthritis of the right shoulder, and arthritis of the right knee are proximately due to or the result of his service-connected lumbosacral strain. The left hip arthritis, left knee arthritis, and left arm arthritis were not shown to be related to service or service-connected disability.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic left shoulder disorder in service and concluded that the current condition is not service-connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing left shoulder AC joint separation was aggravated during service, and thus granted service connection for left shoulder AC joint separation residuals.

The Board granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine, right shoulder, and left shoulder. The veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has ordered further development due to pending issues regarding the veteran's right shoulder disability. The case is now remanded for additional examination and consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. Section 1151 for the residuals of meningitis, including enlargement of ventricular ventricles, memory loss and headaches. The other claims remain pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for dislocation of the left shoulder with traumatic arthritis, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his arthritis and pulmonary conditions, contributed to his death from a head injury sustained during an accidental fall.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by calcified subdeltoid bursitis with limitation of motion, warrants a 30 percent evaluation. The rating for his SFW residuals is also at its maximum allowable under DC 5306.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left shoulder disability due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities or a link between service and these conditions.

The Board has remanded the remaining claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence, but has granted a higher initial rating of 40 percent for chronic low back pain with degenerative changes of the lumbar spine.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his shoulder and toe disabilities, as well as his knee conditions.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings for the residuals of surgical flap procedures of the right and left pectoralis major with partial sternectomy and scars of the mid-line, left chest, and right shoulder; the residuals of a flap procedure of the right rectus abdominis; and restrictive lung disease resulting from a partial sternectomy have been denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 20 percent for the pectoralis major issues or 10 percent for the rectus abdominis issue, nor did it meet the criteria for a higher rating for the respiratory disability.

The Board has determined that the current medical records do not definitively link the veteran's current shoulder, back, and knee disabilities to his in-service helicopter crash. The case is being remanded for further development including obtaining additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and a respiratory disability.

The Board has evaluated the veteran's right shoulder disability as analogous to and most fairly characterized by an actual limitation of motion at no higher than the shoulder level, which warrants a currently assigned 20 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted increased evaluations for the veteran's right shoulder, left shoulder, and cervical spine conditions to 20 percent each, effective from March 1997.

The Board has determined that the veteran's appeal is not about service connection at all, as her claim was already addressed in a previous decision. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.