Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder impingement syndrome, sinusitis, a low back disability, TMJ, hand and finger injuries, alopecia areata, and right epididymitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee chondromalacia and left shoulder impingement syndrome, as well as a compensable rating for his left ear hearing loss. The RO had previously granted service connection for these conditions but did not assign higher ratings.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of low back, bilateral knee, and left shoulder disorders. The pre-service and post-service medical records do not show any link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the earliest available opportunity.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine, left shoulder, and left great toe disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service. The appeal was denied.

The veteran's service connection for postoperative left shoulder bursitis and tendinopathy was granted, with a 10 percent evaluation initially assigned in October 2007. The evaluation was increased to 20 percent effective February 22, 2007.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and to reopen a claim of service connection due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including muscle atrophy of the deltoid and trapezius muscles, was granted a 30 percent evaluation effective from March 1999 to the present. The maximum schedular evaluation for limitation of motion has been met.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 50 percent for sleep apnea, effective as of the date of receipt of the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right wrist disorders, left knee disorder, and sinusitis/pharyngitis. Service connection was denied for allergies, fatigue, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and possibly a VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left shoulder disability, right ankle condition (broken right leg), back disability, transient ischemic attack, and headaches have been granted.

The Board has determined that the earliest possible effective date for the grant of service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability is March 5, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death. The underlying causes of death were sepsis and pneumonia, which are not related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that a VA medical examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's right shoulder disability was aggravated by active service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition. The claims for arthritis of the lumbar spine, hands, elbows, and shoulders are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is characterized by forward elevation and abduction of the right shoulder at 90 degrees, with pain and other functional loss. The Board has determined that a higher 20 percent rating is warranted for his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right shoulder disability is not related to his service and denies his claim for service connection.

The appellant is seeking an increased evaluation for his service-connected scalenus anticus syndrome of the right shoulder. The RO has denied this claim, stating that the current symptoms are not related to the service-connected disorder and should be rated separately.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's neck and right shoulder disabilities.