Shoulder decisions — 2007

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the left knee and arthritis of the left shoulder, finding that these conditions are part of a pre-existing degenerative process.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the shoulders and heart disease, finding that these conditions are not related to service.

The veteran's cervical spine disability is not service-connected, and her diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The right thumb disability has been granted as service-connected but the initial evaluation remains at 20%.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The veteran's ventral hernia and left shoulder dislocation claims were denied as there is no evidence of a post-operative ventral hernia with the required symptoms for a compensable evaluation, and his left shoulder disability was not found to warrant an increased rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, cervical spine disability with spondylosis and spinal stenosis, left shoulder degenerative osteoarthritis, thoracolumbar disability (chronic strain of the thoracic spine), and left ear hearing loss. The decision is based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of the left hip, right hip, right knee, left knee, fingers of the right hand, fingers of the left hand, right elbow, left elbow, right wrist, and left wrist have been rated as 10 percent disabling. The veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder and right shoulder have been rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder condition does not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent, and thus his claim for an increased evaluation is denied.

The Board granted the veteran's motion to reopen his claim for service connection for a right ankle disability and found new and material evidence. The claims for cold injury residuals of the upper extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and left shoulder disability were also addressed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right knee, left knee, and right shoulder disabilities.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 30 percent for the veteran's right shoulder disability effective from May 26, 2005.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to provide proper notice and scheduling for a hearing. The veteran's appeal is now pending again.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, neuropathy of the legs, residuals of cold injury to the upper and lower extremities, and degenerative arthritis (joint pain in the right shoulder and legs).

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against granting service connection for type II diabetes mellitus due to lack of exposure to Agent Orange during service. The veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease, hypertension, hemorrhoids, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and impingement syndrome with history of tendonitis of the left shoulder are currently rated as 10 percent each.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was granted, with a rating of 40 percent effective April 18, 2006. The claims for service connection for bladder cancer and squamous cell carcinoma were also granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder sprain and residuals of a clavicle fracture do not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence of current left shoulder, back, or knee disabilities. The veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension, left shoulder disorder, or left ankle disorder related to his periods of active military service. As such, these claims for service connection are denied.