Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral shoulder disability, as secondary to his service-connected residuals of C-5 fracture. The decision states that there is no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis of any shoulder disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his mental health condition and multiple physical impairments, render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his time in service.,Service connection was also denied for a back disorder.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for his residual scar from a cyst excision on the right shoulder was denied as there is no evidence to support a higher evaluation under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder and bilateral knee disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a chronic disability during active or reserve service. The current conditions do not have a direct link to military service.

The Veteran's left shoulder condition is currently rated at 20 percent, effective August 11, 2003. The Board found that the disability does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have combat service and his claimed PTSD stressors were not corroborated by service records or other credible supporting evidence. The right shoulder disability was also denied as there is no indication of an in-service injury.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected carcinoma of the prostate, bursitis of the right shoulder, and erectile dysfunction. The claim for service connection for asbestosis was remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development of evidence, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's left knee condition was rated as 10 percent prior to May 15, 2006 and as 20 percent since that date. The right knee condition has been rated at 10 percent.,Arthritis of the bilateral shoulders was not rated higher than 10 percent prior to November 29, 1999. Since then, arthritis of the left shoulder has not warranted a rating higher than 10 percent and arthritis of the right shoulder has not been rated at all.,Since August 27, 2002, arthritis of the right shoulder has been rated as 10 percent disabling. Arthritis of the hands was rated noncompensable prior to that date but is now rated at 10 percent since then.,Arthritis of the left ankle and right ankle have both been rated at 10 percent since August 27, 2002.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, specifically impingement syndrome, is being remanded due to the lack of an examination addressing this specific condition and the potential impact on the August 2005 VA examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of a right thigh disability, a lump above the collarbone, or a left knee disability. The claims for service connection for these conditions are denied as there is no competent evidence linking them to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for various service-connected conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 20 percent for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome and deep peroneal nerve radiculopathy, or a separate rating of 10 percent for left shoulder strain.

The Board has determined that the veteran sustained bilateral shoulder and neck disorders as a result of transporting wounded soldiers during combat in Iraq, and service connection for these disabilities is granted.

The Board has denied all service connection claims as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities for the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to inadequate examination reports and missing VA outpatient treatment records. The Veteran needs a comprehensive VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The appeal was withdrawn by the appellant before the Board promulgated a decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder and foot were denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected left shoulder impingement is dismissed due to a lack of justiciable case or controversy.