Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a bilateral shoulder disorder, right hip disorder, or low back disorder and thus service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back, right shoulder, and right knee disorders did not have onset during his active service or are otherwise etiologically related to his active service.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disorders, finding no competent evidence linking the current conditions to active duty service.

The Veteran's skin rash, left joint and shoulder pain, and sleeping problems are all found to be due to an undiagnosed illness during service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and a rating in excess of 30 percent for hepatitis B were denied. The claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant is not in need of regular aid and attendance or permanently housebound, thus denying her claims for special monthly pension benefits on those grounds. However, she was granted special monthly pension benefits based on being housebound.

The Veteran's DJD and DDD of the cervical spine, including associated radiculopathy (claimed as condition of the feet and hands and shoulder pain), is not related to service.,Service connection for headaches with loss of vision is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current headache disorder is related to his active service or any in-service disease or injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected residuals of a head injury. The issues on appeal include seeking an increased rating for his head injury, determining whether he has a bilateral shoulder disorder related to his cervical spondylosis, requesting an earlier effective date for his cervical and lumbar spondylosis, and reopening his claim for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records from the Social Security Administration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for tuberculosis, gastroenteritis, and headaches have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The noncompensable rating assigned for right shoulder bursitis is also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability is found to be incurred during his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disorder, but denied the remaining issues of entitlement to service connection for left knee, left shoulder, back, and hand disorders.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine and disc herniation of the lumbar spine (L4-5) with radiating pain to the lower extremities, both found to be related to a period of active duty for training in May 1989. Service connection was denied for degenerative joint disease of bilateral shoulders.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability does not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that his claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, residuals of a left shoulder injury, and nerve damage in the hands. The claim for telangiectasia was not reopened as new and material evidence was not received.

The Veteran's left leg varicose veins are rated at 40% effective March 31, 2005.,Effective March 31, 2005, the Veteran is granted service connection for bilateral shoulder strains and an additional allowance for dependants.