Shoulder decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's appeal was not timely filed, and therefore dismissed the case.

The Board found no evidence of a left shoulder disability during service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have residuals of a right ankle sprain or a right shoulder strain. The claim for service connection for a low back strain is pending and requires additional examination to determine its etiology.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple conditions, including arthritis of the right shoulder and both wrists, low back disorder, neck disorder, chronic acquired eye disorder, tinnitus, allergies, asthma, unspecified disorders related to asbestos and radiation exposure. The claims are all denied.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder and also denied his initial compensable evaluation for post-operative recurrent right inguinal hernia.

The Board found no evidence of a neck injury in service and concluded that the veteran's current cervical spine disability is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any residuals of circumcision surgery due to disease or injury incurred in service. The claim for increased evaluations for PTSD and arthritis of the right shoulder with history of bursitis is also denied.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's right shoulder disability, which is currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of soft tissue injury to the bilateral shoulders and a lumbar spine disorder, as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection of degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, cervical spine, and lumbar spine. The evidence shows that these conditions were aggravated by in-service injuries.,Service connection is granted for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, cervical spine, and lumbar spine as they are considered to have been aggravated by service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury and torticollis with tremors. The evidence does not support the establishment of service connection for either condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a right shoulder injury, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disability, and a back injury. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the veteran's left shoulder condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chronic cough, headaches, fatigue, and joint pain have been partially granted due to presumed undiagnosed illness related to his military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. The veteran is still seeking service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right shoulder impingement syndrome, left and right ankle tendonitis, and arthritis of the ankles. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were related to service or warranted increased disability ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right shoulder or right ankle disability and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's multiple conditions are being remanded for a thorough VA examination to determine if they are related to his participation in Project SHAD, including exposure to toxic materials.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and low back disabilities need further review based on missing VA medical records.

The Board found that the veteran did not have an employment handicap and was considered to be at the point of employability for an entry level position with his undergraduate degree. The veteran's service-connected disabilities were rated as 30 percent combined, but he was determined to have overcome his handicap through education.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, PTSD, narcolepsy, arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, and residuals of a shrapnel injury to the neck. The remaining claim for numbness and tingling of the bilateral arms, hands, and fingers (as secondary to residuals of a shrapnel injury to the neck) is remanded.