Shoulder decisions — 2008

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent disabling for left knee bursitis, and whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder condition.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's right shoulder impingement, finding that the current 10 percent rating accurately reflects the severity of the condition.

The Board remands the claims for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current conditions are related to his service.

The Board must remand the case for further development and consideration due to missing service medical records.

The Board remands the claims for further development and adjudication.

The Board found that the veteran's right shoulder disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is unrelated to his service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, while significant, do not render him unemployable. His combined disability rating is 60%, and the evidence does not support that his service-connected conditions alone prevent him from obtaining or maintaining employment.

The veteran's lumbar spine disability, and traumatic arthritis of the right and left shoulders have not met the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board denied service connection for right hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to the lack of evidence showing a current disability or a nexus between any such disability and military service.

The veteran is unemployable as a result of his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and lower back disability.

The case is remanded to provide the veteran with proper notice, obtain additional treatment records, and afford him a VA examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle, right and left leg, and right hand conditions were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability.

The appeal is remanded to obtain additional VA medical records and a VA examination for the veteran's claimed left shoulder disability.

The appeal is remanded for additional development and a VA medical opinion to address the etiology of the veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Board granted the veteran's motion to advance his appeal on the Board's docket and found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen a claim for service connection for low back disability. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for left wrist/thumb/finger disabilities were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims to reopen service connection for pes planus, a throat disability, a right shoulder disability, residuals of a nose bleed, Graves' disease and a knife wound to the left knee as new and material evidence was not received.

The veteran does not have any currently diagnosed skin disorders, and service connection for cysts of the back and shoulders was denied.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a low back disability and right shoulder disability, but denied the claim for a right knee disability.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee, bilateral ankle, low back, and left shoulder conditions were granted. The claim to reopen the service connection for a skin disorder was denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease, an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the bilateral shoulder and left knee disabilities, and an initial compensable evaluation for the right wrist disability are being remanded to the RO for additional development.