Shoulder decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder, wrist, foot, and ankle disorders are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding her periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA). The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board found that the veteran's shoulder disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient reasoning and development in previous decisions. The appeals are now pending with the RO for further adjudication.

The Board found that the veteran's multiple conditions, including those related to his left biceps tear, are not service-connected and denied both the claim for increased rating and the secondary service connection claim.

The Board has dismissed the appeal seeking service connection for a low back disability due to the veteran's withdrawal of his appeal. The claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability, manifested by flexion to 95 degrees and abduction to 85 degrees, does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple joint pains to include the neck, hands, ankles, heels, right shoulder, and right elbow. Service connection for depression is also granted.

The veteran's claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA/Workmen's Compensation clinical documentation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right shoulder disorder, left thumb disorder, and skin disorder are pending.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear at a scheduled hearing in Washington, DC. He has requested a new hearing and provided a new address.

The Board has received a withdrawal of the appeal from the appellant and thus, the appeal is dismissed.

The veteran's claims for service connection on the merits were denied. The Board found that his skin disorder did not originate during active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred due to an undiagnosed illness. His joint pain, muscle spasms, and grinding of teeth (bruxism) were also not shown to be related to active service or a chronic undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disorder and initial ratings for bilateral pes cavus with arthritis of the feet. The appeals were not granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected skin disorder of the hands, arms, and shoulders, as well as his service-connected diabetic neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for verification of her National Guard service periods.

The veteran's claims are being remanded to the RO for further action due to new evidence submitted after previous Supplemental Statements of the Case.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of cold injuries to both hands and feet, but denied the remaining claims as there is no current evidence of a disability or link to service.

The Board has determined that there are outstanding records from the WAMC and Fayetteville VAMC which need to be obtained in order to make a determination on the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder. The RO is instructed to obtain these records, provide due process notifications, and then readjudicate the case.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing disability for VA purposes and thus cannot establish service connection. Additionally, the veteran's abdominal scar is currently rated as noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 7805 due to lack of functional impairment.

The Board denied service connection for bursitis of the right shoulder, allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinusitis), right ankle pain, and mitral valve regurgitation. The initial ratings assigned for degenerative disc disease with spondylosis at L1-2 and L2-3, hepatitis B, residuals of a stress fracture of the right lower leg, and residuals of a stress fracture of the left lower leg were also denied.