Shoulder decisions — 2007

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder, right knee, and left knee as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension, bilateral arm tremors, and right shoulder disability were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that there is no diagnosed otitis media, low back condition, or right shoulder condition and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete medical records, requiring further development.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and residuals of a gunshot wound of the right shoulder, finding no competent evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has ordered a remand due to incomplete compliance with previous remands and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the onset of the veteran's knee and shoulder disabilities, as well as whether they are related to service.

The veteran's left wrist fracture residuals are currently rated as noncompensable, and his right shoulder surgery residuals are rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that neither condition warrants a higher rating.,The veteran seeks an increased rating for his right shoulder surgery residuals, but the evidence does not support such a finding.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred in Canada is granted as the treatment was related to a service-connected disability and deemed necessary.

The Board denied service connection for sternum injury, left shoulder tendonitis (left shoulder disability), and cervical spine disability as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the etiology of the veteran's claimed disabilities, including whether they are related to service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back injury, left foot disorder, and disability involving his right side. The appeals were all denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's right shoulder disability, which is currently rated at 40 percent. The evidence showed significant limitation of motion to a point where it was limited to midway between the side and shoulder level with pain.

The Board has determined that the veteran's postoperative left shoulder disability warrants a 20 percent evaluation, which is the maximum schedular rating available under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including head injury, back disability, shoulder disorders, foot injuries, eye disorder, heart disorder, lung disease, psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, asbestosis, COPD, cervical spine disorder, hemorrhoids, tinnitus, and loss of teeth are not supported by the evidence of record.

The veteran's multiple service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities prevent him from achieving a vocational goal, thus feasibility of additional vocational rehabilitation training is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. The claims for cold injury residuals of the left shoulder and right hand, heart disability, and head injury (now claimed as scars resulting from shell fragment wounds) have been remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for tendonitis of the feet and residuals of a dislocated left shoulder, finding that these conditions were aggravated by service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence showing it was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and provide the veteran with another opportunity to submit evidence. The claims for service connection for back and left shoulder disabilities will be reconsidered based on the new information.

The Board has granted an initial 10 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability, effective October 1, 2001. The prostate disorder claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a prostate condition.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.