Shoulder decisions — 2008

The Board has granted service connection for tendonitis of the right shoulder, arthritis of the left shoulder, and GERD. The veteran is now entitled to a 10% initial rating for each condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection for seborrheic dermatitis and a left shoulder impingement syndrome are granted. The claims for coccyx-tailbone and right hip disabilities, as well as the claim for an evaluation of residuals of T-10 compression fracture, are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for schizoaffective disorder and rheumatoid arthritis of the spine, knees, elbows, and shoulders. The denial was based on a finding that the conditions existed prior to entry into service or were not aggravated by active duty.

The veteran's cervical spine disability and left shoulder Charcot joint are found to be due to service-connected conditions, specifically his syringomyelia of the cervical spine. Service connection is granted for these disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition as secondary to right shoulder tendonitis and also denied his request for a higher combined rating, finding that there was no evidence supporting these claims.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection were denied. The cervical spine strain, bilateral shoulder disabilities, and tension headaches are not rated higher than the current levels of disability. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were found to be unrelated to service.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left shoulder disorders, finding that the current symptoms are related to injuries sustained during active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if any current left shoulder disability is related to service, specifically an injury sustained during military service. The veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder condition, including arthritis changes, did not manifest until many years after his period of active service and is not related to any incident therein. Therefore, service connection for residuals of a left shoulder injury is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including postoperative residuals of right shoulder separation and secondary conditions. The evidence does not support a current diagnosis or treatment for these claimed conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Board hearing at the RO.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected right shoulder injury was denied as the current disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee, low back, and right shoulder disabilities. The veteran's complaints of pain in these areas during active duty have been confirmed by medical examinations post-service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, including as due to an undiagnosed illness. The examiner noted that the veteran's pain was related to his diagnosed left shoulder impingement and decompression, but not directly attributable to military service.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder disability as not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected condition. The Board also did not address service connection for bilateral arm disability, and found that the veteran's claim was 'unknown' regarding this issue. The Board granted restoration of a 10% rating for recurrent dislocation of the left knee but denied an increased rating.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeals regarding his claims for service connection due to lack of timely filing of substantive appeals. The issues concerning PTSD have been remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claims for increased evaluations due to need for additional examinations and consideration of separate ratings.

The Board has found no evidence of a current left hand disability and denied the veteran's claim for service connection. The veteran is seeking higher ratings for her service-connected mechanical low back pain and left shoulder muscle insertion strain, but an adequate examination was not provided to determine the severity of these conditions. The veteran also seeks service connection for headaches, which requires further evaluation.

The veteran's left shoulder disability and bilateral hearing loss disability are both granted with a 10% initial rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine and right shoulder disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by active service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.