Shoulder decisions — 2007

The VA determined that the veteran's left shoulder dislocation with limited motion does not warrant a higher rating than 20 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, right shoulder degenerative changes, right knee retropatellar pain syndrome, and lumbosacral spine strain have been granted. The effective dates for these grants are October 25, 2002, June 7, 2003, and June 7, 2003, respectively.,The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD remains pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bilateral knee replacements, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have pseudofolliculitis barbae related to service, but right shoulder tendonitis had its onset in service and is granted as a result.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide VCAA-compliant notice on the applications to reopen his service connection claims for a low back strain and bronchitis.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for neck, back and right shoulder disorders. However, further development is needed to determine the etiology of these conditions and whether they are related to service.

The Board has granted a higher schedular rating for the veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, currently rated at 20 percent.

The veteran's right shoulder osteoarthritis with rotator cuff injury, with instability is rated at 30 percent and his limitation of motion is rated at 10 percent. The veteran's right 5th finger condition remains noncompensable.,The veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant an increased rating based on the current evidence.

The Board found that the veteran does not have current disabilities related to his service, and therefore denied all of his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and PTSD. The claim for right shoulder disability was reopened, but no new evidence supported the diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining new evidence and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that arthritis of the left shoulder was not shown in service nor after service, and is not presumed to have been incurred therein. The claim for service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder was denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected right ankle disability and denied service connection for a right knee and shoulder condition. The RO had previously denied these claims in July 1996, but the veteran did not appeal.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining relevant medical records and confirming in-service stressors.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for payment of additional compensation for his dependents, finding that he did not provide evidence of dependency within one year of notification and thus the effective date was March 1, 2004.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for psoriasis with seborrheic dermatitis and various forms of psoriatic arthritis were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and readjudicating the issues on appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there was no credible evidence of in-service exposure to Agent Orange or other presumptive conditions and that the veteran did not have a history of active service in Vietnam. The Board also found that the veteran had not established service connection for these conditions based on direct evidence.

The Board found no evidence of chronic disabilities manifested by joint pain, fatigue, or memory loss that are related to service. The veteran's complaints were attributed to PTSD and alcoholism.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further proceedings, including scheduling a VA examination and requesting clarification of the veteran's employment history. The veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities as a whole.