Shoulder decisions — 2004

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any chronic disabilities of the right leg, knee, middle finger, nose, wrist, shoulder, or great toe that are service-connected. The back disability is also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for multiple joint pains involving shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankle joints due to an undiagnosed illness and for increased rating for hypertensive heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection based on presumptive exposure to Gulf War operations.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a cervical spine/neck disability with headaches. The claims for liver disorder, hip disorder, and erectile dysfunction secondary to multiple service-connected disabilities have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions or a causal link to military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have PTSD, a low back disability, a cervical spinal disability, bilateral eye disability, or skin rash. The right ankle and left knee disabilities are also denied as service connection is already granted for these conditions under another theory of service connection. The joint pain in hands, right wrist, and right shoulder, along with generalized muscle aches, have been previously granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection and rating issues, as well as a petition to reopen his right knee injury claim. Additional development is needed including obtaining VA medical records, arranging for an orthopedic examination, and providing the veteran with another opportunity for a hearing.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the shoulders was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder nerve damage, left knee disability, and left leg disability. The RO assigned a noncompensable rating for his left shoulder scar.

The Board found that a current left shoulder disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right ear hearing loss and residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right shoulder are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and an earlier effective date for his right shoulder bursitis rating. The veteran is seeking to establish service connection for sinusitis, but the evidence does not support a grant of service connection based on direct service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of joints other than the right shoulder, finding that there was no evidence linking this condition to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for additional vocational rehabilitation benefits under Chapter 31 of Title 38 of the United States Code, finding that she was rehabilitated and did not meet the criteria for reentrance into a rehabilitation program.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected left shoulder strain, tendinitis of the left knee, and tendinitis of the left ankle. The RO found that these conditions did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from December 1972 and providing the veteran with VCAA notification.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability, diagnosed as rotator cuff tendonitis and degenerative joint disease, did not result from service or within a presumptive period. The claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's claims of increased rating for residuals of a shell fragment wound and service connection for various conditions were denied. The dissecting aortic aneurysm was not found to be related to the service-connected left shoulder disorder, and there is no evidence linking any skin condition or PTSD to active service. Arthritis of the neck was also not linked to service.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's gunshot wound residuals, but granted a 10 percent rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear at the scheduled hearing. The issues of reopening a claim for PTSD and increasing the rating for shoulder disability are pending.

The veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for impingement syndrome of the right and left shoulders with AC arthritis are being remanded due to additional development needed.

The veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability does not meet the criteria for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected condition.