Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder as secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, and also denied an increased initial evaluation for type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board finds that the evidence supports a grant for service connection for impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear and large osteophyte of the right shoulder with rotator cuff tendinitis, status post surgery.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder strain, left ankle strain, and a chronic disability manifested by chest pain were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations were partially granted, with some conditions receiving higher ratings and others remaining at their current levels.

The veteran withdrew his appeal seeking a rating in excess of 20 percent for post-operative left shoulder dislocation, and the Board has no further jurisdiction over this matter.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the cervical spine, right shoulder, wrists, hips, and left ankle; carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist; degenerative joint disease (arthritis) of the lumbar spine to include residuals of surgery; and residuals of a left knee contusion to include arthritis.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, finding no evidence of a current disability.

The veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spondylosis, left shoulder pain, and an increased rating for low back disability were denied. The claim to reopen a previously denied psychiatric disorder was not addressed in the decision.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disorder, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and bilateral neuropathy of the hands, feet, and back. The initial rating for PTSD was also denied.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder disability, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities were not found to warrant ratings in excess of those currently assigned.

The claims for service connection for right shoulder, low back, cervical spine, and left hip disorders are being remanded to provide the veteran with proper notice regarding new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an upper respiratory infection, residuals of a fracture of the left fourth finger, Osgood-Schlatter's disease, costochondritis, eustachian tube dysfunction, allergic conjunctivitis, and right shoulder muscle strain as there is no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and found that the veteran's right shoulder arthritis did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right and left shoulder disabilities and right and left knee disabilities, as there was no evidence of a more severe disability that would warrant a higher rating.

The veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a left arm and shoulder disorder, a right ankle disorder and foot sprain, and right arm radiculopathy were denied. A higher initial rating for the service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, a bilateral shoulder disorder, a neck disorder, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to military service.

The Board remands the veteran's claim for a VA examination to determine if his current left shoulder disability is related to an in-service injury.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disorder and hypertension, but granted the claim to reopen for a low back disorder. The veteran's right knee condition was not related to his military service, while new evidence suggested a possible link between his current low back condition and his military service.

The veteran's request to reopen a previously disallowed claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder was denied as the new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the underlying claim.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right shoulder, and skin conditions as there was no evidence of a nexus between the veteran's active duty and his currently shown conditions.