Shoulder decisions — 2006

The veteran's service-connected bilateral shoulder disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board denies his claim for TDIU.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a left shoulder disorder, bilateral finger disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, or depressive disorder related to active service. As such, the veteran's claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder and back disabilities are not caused or made worse by his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, high frequency hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and residuals of prostate cancer. The veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, left shoulder, and right knee were not found to be related to his active duty service.

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine and right shoulder disabilities existed prior to service and were not aggravated by military service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation for his left wrist disability, service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities (secondary to a service-connected left wrist disability), and temporary total ratings based on bilateral shoulder surgeries. The reasons were that none of the veteran's current bilateral shoulder conditions were caused by his service-connected left wrist condition or any other remote incident of service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current manifestations of his right shoulder and left knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any current disabilities of the feet, shoulders, cervical or thoracic spine, brain aneurysm, or headaches that are related to her military service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has granted service connection for joint pain of the lumbar spine and joint pain of the left knee. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings have been REMANDED due to the need for additional VA examinations. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for recurrent left shoulder dislocation, pes planus with bilateral plantar fasciitis, and hiatal hernia remain pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury, an increased evaluation for hearing loss, and an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The veteran's hearing loss was rated as noncompensable due to his audiometric results not meeting criteria for a compensable rating. His PTSD was rated at the lowest available level (30%) based on symptoms that did not meet higher levels of impairment.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further action, including scheduling a hearing. The issues of service connection for depression and the residuals of a right shoulder injury are pending.

The veteran's PTSD and arthrosis of the left shoulder are rated at 30 percent each, effective from the date his claim was filed.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The claims will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The veteran's bilateral pes planus was preexisting and not aggravated by service. His osteoarthritis of the hands, shoulders, hips, knees, and lumbar spine is not related to service or his flat feet. Hearing loss and tinnitus were also not found to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disorders of the upper back and shoulders, as well as his right leg disorder, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Board finds that the current 20 percent rating adequately compensates the veteran for functional loss due to pain and other factors, as his range of arm motion is effectively limited to approximately shoulder level.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the left shoulder.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for avascular necrosis of the left shoulder and right hip, finding no evidence that these conditions were incurred during military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and residuals of a left shoulder injury, but denied these claims on their merits as there is no evidence to support that these conditions are related to his military service.