Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected shoulder disabilities. However, he does not qualify for housebound benefits as he does not have one disability rated at 100%.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed cervical, right knee, lumbar, right shoulder, and right thumb disorders are not related to service. Hypoglycemia is not a disability or disease associated with service origin.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, and dental trauma. The denial is based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability due to new and material evidence submitted since the final July 1988 rating decision. However, the claim cannot be granted as there is no competent medical evidence linking any current right shoulder disability to service.

The Board found no evidence of a current left shoulder disability and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. The issue of entitlement to service connection for left knee patellofemoral syndrome is pending as further development is required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including malaria, vision impairment, ulcers, left arm disorder, left shoulder disorder, left little finger disorder, left hip disorder, sciatica, spine disorder, and right knee disorder, were denied as there is no medical evidence of current diagnoses or a link to service.

The Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings or service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating or higher for his GERD with hiatal hernia, DJD of the right great toe metatarsophalangeal joints with cheilectomy right great toe, and DJD of the left great toe metatarsophalangeal joints and osteotomy left second toe. The Veteran's claims for service connection were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board. The Board found no current diagnoses of any claimed conditions, and thus could not establish a link between military service and these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling him for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for authorization of an MRI on a fee basis was denied as the criteria were not met, and the preponderance of evidence did not support the claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right ankle strain, left ankle strain, right shoulder impingement syndrome, and lumbosacral strain prior to March 27, 2008 were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected due to clear and unmistakable evidence showing they existed prior to his entry into active service.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition was not incurred or aggravated during active duty service. The Board denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's post-operative residuals of right shoulder dislocation are currently manifested by physical examination results that reveal an additional ten percent functional limitation of motion during flare-ups, warranting a 30% evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on unemployability. The case is REMANDED to obtain an opinion regarding whether he is capable of securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD, cervical spondylosis, left shoulder pain, right ankle arthritis, and left ankle arthritis have been granted service connection. The Veteran did not engage in combat during active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed bilateral heel, leg, and left shoulder disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The right knee disability was rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability (spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis) incurred during active service, with the left shoulder disorder being considered as aggravated by this pre-existing condition. The Veteran's claims are now fully resolved.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and bilateral shoulder condition, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that would support a grant of service connection.