Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and the submission of a VA Form 646.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disorder manifested by pain, crunching and grating. Service connection was denied for residuals of status post-removal of moles.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder disability and there is no evidence of such a condition during service. As such, the claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability, carpal/cubital tunnel syndrome, and ulnar nerve condition are all found to be secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development due to missing service medical records and other issues.

The Veteran seeks service connection for multiple disabilities, including a torn rotator cuff of the right shoulder, right knee meniscus tear, chronic back disorder, and left leg disability. The appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity radiculopathies have not been found to warrant a compensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and service connection for bilateral shoulder disorder and back disorder. The decision found that NASH did not meet criteria for a compensable evaluation, while service connection was denied due to lack of evidence linking current shoulder or back disorders to military service.

The Veteran's kidney stones, right eye disability, elbow disability, periodontal disease, left hip degenerative joint disease, impingement syndrome of the left shoulder, CAD, PVD of the right subclavian artery, GERD, IBS, fracture of the left ankle, and hemorrhoids have been granted service connection. The Veteran is assigned a 20 percent initial rating for PVD of the right subclavian artery.

The Veteran's jaw pain is service-connected, but his low back, knee, shoulder, and hepatitis B disabilities are not.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for generalized arthritis of the fingers, shoulders and hips due to lack of in-service diagnosis or aggravation. The Veteran's current condition is not presumed by law.

The Veteran's service-connected recurrent posterior dislocation, right shoulder with grinding of motion above the shoulder level is currently rated at 30 percent disabling. The Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability and does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and left shoulder disabilities, finding that new and material evidence has been received. The claims will now be reviewed on their merits.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the residuals of a right ankle fracture warranted a 10 percent rating effective from August 10, 1994, but not in excess of this level after September 11, 1996. The Veteran's right thigh furuncle scar was also rated at 10 percent effective from February 21, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities do not warrant a higher initial rating based on their current manifestations.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen any of the Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of a left shoulder injury, low back disorder, or hamstring disorder. The appeals are therefore denied.