Shoulder decisions — 2005

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and records to determine if the veteran's right knee replacement and right shoulder impingement syndrome are related to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, right knee and leg disorders, left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The reasons are that there is no evidence of these conditions during service or a link to service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings have been granted, with the effective date being determined by the RO.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to incomplete records and the need for further development, including obtaining medical records from various providers and scheduling an examination.

The veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, which includes recurrent dislocations and limitation of motion. The RO has granted an increased rating for these conditions.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for chronic cough/bronchitis, but not for right shoulder or right knee disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran did not knowingly make or cause to be made a false or fraudulent affidavit, and thus forfeiture of his rights to VA benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 6103(a) is improper.

The veteran's joint pain, including in the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and wrists, is found to be due to an undiagnosed illness related to her service in the Persian Gulf. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board found that the veteran did not have any residual disabilities resulting from service-connected conditions, including a head injury, low back disability, right ankle disorder, and left shoulder disorder.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the left ankle, bilateral shoulders, knees, hands, wrists, elbows, feet, hips, and lumbar spine. The veteran's arthritis was not found to have originated during or within one year after his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right shoulder impingement.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's left knee and left shoulder disabilities, finding that these conditions are due to injury in service.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to incomplete records from the Social Security Administration.

The veteran seeks service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder. The Board finds insufficient evidence to decide this claim and remands it for a VA examination.

The Board found that the appellant's current bilateral shoulder disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of arthritis of the right shoulder or sinusitis, and there is no evidence to support a finding that these conditions are related to service. As such, both claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examination report and because Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center records are needed for consideration.

The Board is unable to determine the outcome of some claims due to insufficient evidence, but has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted for others. The veteran's service connection claims are pending.

The veteran's conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, mild restrictive lung disease, erectile dysfunction, left shoulder dislocation, sinusitis, left ankle instability, and right ankle instability, are all found to be service-connected. The initial disability ratings for subacromial impingement of the left shoulder, urticaria, and sinusitis have been granted at noncompensable levels.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and residuals of a left acromioclavicular separation, finding new and material evidence. The neck and right shoulder disorders are also addressed with further examination needed.