Shoulder decisions — 2007

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for all issues except the claim of entitlement to an increased rating for seborrheic keratosis of the face, arm, hands, and right ear.

The veteran's service-connected chronic low back pain with mild wedge compression and marginal spurs is rated at 10 percent since February 9, 2000.

The Board finds that the veteran's renal cell carcinoma, initially noted during service in 1995 as minimally suspicious for cancer, was incurred in service and grants service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability warrants a 30 percent evaluation, which is in excess of the current 20 percent rating. The condition is characterized by frequent dislocation and guarding of all arm movements.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining authorization for any outstanding VA or private treatment records and scheduling the veteran for appropriate VA examinations.

The veteran's service-connected right hip and left hip conditions have been rated at the minimum of 10 percent, with no evidence of additional disability warranting a higher rating. The veteran's service-connected left shoulder bursitis has also not met the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, epistaxis or nosebleeds, skin disease (fungal infection of the feet), sleeplessness or restlessness, urinary tract infections, a temper condition, and joint pain of the shoulders, fingers, and knees. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in service.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain and right shoulder disability, but denied requests for higher initial ratings. The veteran's cervical strain is currently rated at 10 percent since November 10, 2002.

The Board found that the veteran's scars of the left shoulder and anterior neck do not warrant a compensable rating on a schedular basis due to lack of evidence indicating they cause limitation of motion or function.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected traumatic arthritis of the left shoulder with recurrent dislocation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disorder, including degenerative arthritis, is causally or etiologically related to service and grants the claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches was denied as there is no current diagnosis of this condition.,Service connection for a psychiatric condition was also denied, with the examiner finding that the adjustment disorder with anxiety did not have its onset in service and was not related to any service-connected disability.

The veteran seeks service connection for hearing loss and various other conditions. The RO has remanded the case to obtain additional records and conduct examinations.,The veteran claims service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the hands, ankles, shoulders, and back, which he attributes to in-service exposure to humidity in Vietnam. He also seeks service connection for a psychiatric disability (likely depression) and benign prostatic hypertrophy due to herbicide exposure during service.,The veteran asserts that his current psychiatric condition is related to an in-service diagnosis of depression. The RO has requested clarification on whether the veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD, which would require further development.,The veteran claims service connection for myocardial infarctions and coronary artery disease, with a suggestion that these conditions may be secondary to his psychiatric disability. He also seeks service connection for benign prostatic hypertrophy due to herbicide exposure during service.,The veteran asserts that he was exposed to noise while serving as a policeman in the Air Force, which could potentially relate to his current hearing loss.

The Board has ordered additional development of the claims due to incomplete records and need for medical examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition and increased ratings for lumbar strain and cervical strain, finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current bilateral knee and left shoulder disabilities are related to his service.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for recurrent dislocation of the left shoulder, and has found that tinnitus was incurred during active service. The veteran's current claim is denied as his left shoulder disability does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral shoulder disability is not related to his active military service and denied both direct service connection as well as secondary service connection based on his left ankle and left elbow disabilities.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, hypertension and bilateral vision problems are not service-connected, arthritis of the lumbar spine, right ankle disorder, and right shoulder disorder are granted with a 30 percent rating each. Dermatitis was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence, including for a VA examination regarding the etiology of the veteran's right shoulder disorder and for an additional VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disability.