Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his claims for service connection of a right (dominant) shoulder disability, a right forearm disability, a right knee disability and a bilateral foot disability, to include chronic disability manifested by swollen right foot.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to service connection for deterioration of tissue surrounding bone joints including bilateral shoulders, hips, elbows and knees. The remaining issues are related to secondary service connection based on in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination to evaluate his dental and mouth conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to procedural issues and the need for additional evidence. The claim will be reconsidered with all new information added to the record, including medical records from October 2006 and May 2008.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left shoulder, right hip, and left wrist disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions she is claiming service connection for, and thus, her claims are denied.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting information and evidence.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on all issues as he did not file a timely substantive appeal.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation for his left shoulder disability was denied.,Subsequent claims for evaluations in excess of 10 percent were also denied during the periods from December 2, 2002 to May 22, 2003 and October 1, 2003 to March 8, 2004.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a current diagnosis of headaches or shoulder conditions, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations for his knee and back conditions was denied. The right knee disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, the left knee disorder at 40 percent, and the low back disorder at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left shoulder impingement syndrome is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and records.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder osteopenia and muscle atrophy have been granted initial disability ratings of 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left shoulder injury, finding that there is no medical evidence linking his current disability to service. The preponderance of the evidence supports the conclusion that the Veteran's current condition did not arise in or was aggravated by service.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic shoulder, leg, or arm disability that was incurred in service and not related to the Veteran's military service. The Board also determined that any current disabilities were not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected traumatic arthritis, right shoulder. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, a left shoulder disorder, chronic bronchitis, or a back disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected knee, ankle, shoulder, and elbow disabilities have not met the criteria for a higher initial evaluation throughout the appeal period.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee and ankle disabilities, as well as his requests for increased ratings. The appeals have been remanded multiple times due to procedural issues.