Shoulder decisions — 2009

The claims for increased ratings for the veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded to provide the veteran with a current VA examination.

The Board granted service connection for left thumbnail fungus, but remanded the other issues for further development.

The appeal is remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC for scheduling of a local hearing with a San Juan Regional Office Decision Review Officer.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was remanded to the RO for further development, including an examination to assess the functional impact of his service-connected disabilities and their relationship to dizziness, headaches, poor balance, and stuffy ears.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for hiatal hernia with positional GERD.

The claim for service connection for residuals of a left shoulder/arm injury was reopened, but denied. The claims for service connection for a right knee disorder were also denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection to the RO for further development and adjudication.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder and left knee disability as they were not related to the Veteran's service or to his service-connected chronic lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease and spinal stenosis.

The Board denied higher initial ratings for residuals of right and left wrist sprains, as well as for right shoulder rotator cuff dysfunction, finding no evidence of functional impairment or pain on undertaking motion, fatigue, weakness, or incoordination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right elbow disorder and a right shoulder disorder, as there was no competent medical evidence to support that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected hypertension, right and left knee disabilities, and right and left shoulder disabilities as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a neck injury and right shoulder injury were denied, while the claim to reopen for a back injury was granted.

The Veteran's hypertension, bunion of the right and left great toes, bilateral hearing loss, heart disorder, cervical disorder, lumbar disorder, left shoulder disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, left ankle disorder, bilateral hip disorder, right knee disorder, and hepatitis B were denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's arthritis, numbness of the hands, neck, and legs, stiffness and pain of the elbows, neck, and shoulders, a calcium growth on the right shoulder, and low back disability are all secondary to his service-connected meningitis.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder impingement with rotator cuff tear was rated at 10 percent, and his chronic lumbosacral strain was rated at 20 percent effective from March 22, 2001.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for recurrent dislocation of the right and left shoulders were denied as the conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for bilateral shoulder disability was denied, while the issue of service connection for bilateral knee disability was reopened.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable or higher evaluation for his cervical spine spondylosis, thoracolumbar spine spondylosis, right (major) shoulder osteoarthritis, right hip and left hip osteoarthritis, right knee and left knee osteoarthritis, right first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative arthritic changes, left first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative arthritic changes, and bilateral pes planus.