Shoulder decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for neurologic amyotrophy and related conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition or injury during service. The Board concluded that the current conditions did not manifest during service or within a year following discharge.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his left shoulder scar, atrial hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and granuloma of the left lung as they did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeal as he withdrew his claim for service connection of a right wrist disorder prior to decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any knee, shoulder or elbow disabilities that are service-connected. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred during active duty.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertriglyceridemia was denied as the condition is not a disability under VA laws and regulations. The Board found that there was no evidence of a current disability, in-service occurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury, or medical nexus between an in-service disease or injury and the current disability.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for further development, including providing notice on reopening a previously denied claim and obtaining any additional evidence from the veteran.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for right knee DJD and granted a 10% rating for residuals of left knee injury.

The veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,For his cervical spine disability, the veteran met the criteria for an initial 10 percent rating prior to January 19, 2005, and in excess of 30 percent therefrom. However, he did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,The right shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,For his service-connected hypothyroidism, the veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 15, 2002, and in excess of 30 percent therefrom. The veteran's ankle disorder was not found to be incurred during active service.,The veteran failed to submit a substantive appeal regarding his claim for increased ratings on headaches.

The Board granted the veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, bilateral shoulder tendonitis and strain, left shoulder bursitis, and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. The claims for hand disability and joint pain were not addressed as they are separate issues.

The Board found that the veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU prior to August 4, 1999 and denied his claim for an earlier effective date.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 25, 2002 for grants of service connection for onychomycosis, tinnitus, and disabilities of the right shoulder, lumbar spine, and right hip. The evidence did not support a finding that VA mishandled his pre-separation claims or that he filed an informal claim prior to June 25, 2002.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. The RO will make arrangements to reschedule the hearing at the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for a cervical spine disability and ulnar nerve impairment, as well as his service connection claims for right shoulder impingement, migraines, and synovitis of the right wrist. The evidence did not establish current disabilities for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability and granted it. The Board also found that the veteran's low back disability is related to injuries in service, warranting service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right shoulder disability was rated at 30 percent, the right great toe fracture with hallux valgus and degenerative joint disease at 10 percent, and the left knee patellofemoral compartment degenerative joint disease at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and there is no evidence of record showing that any of his claimed disabilities are related to military service or exposure to ionizing radiation. As such, service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disorder does not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 20 percent rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling new examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected cervical spine degenerative disc disease with left shoulder radiculopathy, left knee ACL injury, and hypertension.

The veteran is seeking an increased disability rating for his service-connected left shoulder condition, currently evaluated at 30 percent. The Board has remanded the case to consider whether there is in fact arthritis of the left shoulder and to obtain updated treatment records.