Shoulder decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran's current cervical spine and left shoulder conditions are not related to an injury in service, but rather likely due to aging. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right shoulder condition is part and parcel of his service-connected right elbow disability, and thus grants service connection for a right shoulder disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's post-traumatic arthritis of the lumbar spine with degenerative joint disease/degenerative disc disease and right shoulder impingement, status post rotator cuff repair are related to service. The claim for bilateral popliteal aneurysms is being remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder, right ankle, and bilateral knee disabilities are related to his military service. The claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board found that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore denied service connection for all issues.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, hypertension (secondary to diabetes mellitus), arthritis of the right hand, arthritis of the left hand, and disabilities of the wrists and shoulders. The decision also addressed claims for a disability of the left elbow but found no evidence supporting this claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of the right and left shoulders, as well as pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The Board found no current left shoulder disorder and denied service connection. For the right shoulder, new evidence was submitted suggesting a pre-existing condition existed prior to service, but it did not establish that the condition was aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disorder, as the medical evidence did not establish that the current condition was causally linked to any incident of service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and shoulder disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and right ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The denial was based on lack of evidence linking current diagnoses to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's osteoarthritis of the cervical spine is related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The decision also notes that a more definitive assessment regarding the shoulder disability is needed.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his service connection claims due to incomplete service medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and severity of the veteran's conditions.

The VA has increased the veteran's rating for his right shoulder disability from noncompensable to 30 percent, effective September 28, 1995.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current cervical spine, lumbosacral spine, and shoulder disabilities are not service-connected. The evidence does not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and his active military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his post-operative residuals of shoulder dislocations, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and increased disability ratings for his left wrist, left knee, right knee, and low back disorders. The issues of earlier effective date for diabetes service connection and increased rating for hypertension were remanded.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for another VA examination and additional treatment records. The case will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The veteran's request for service connection for recurrent dislocation of the right shoulder is being remanded due to a scheduling issue with his hearing. The appeal will be reconsidered after the scheduled hearing.