Shoulder decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability had its onset during active service and granted service connection for this condition. The pre-existing bilateral eye disability was found not to have been aggravated by service, thus denying service connection for this issue.

The Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet was not manifested in service or within one year postservice. The Board finds no evidence to support a nexus between his service-connected diabetes mellitus and his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not present an unusual disability picture that renders application of the regular rating schedule provisions impracticable. The Board found no basis for referral for consideration of an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's claim for initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, with a rating of 10 percent. The claims for reopening service connection for postoperative degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left shoulder disorder have also been granted. Service connection for vertigo is denied. The right hip arthritis claim remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision. The right knee arthritis and right ankle disorders are both rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA examination reports.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining service treatment records and arranging for VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current chronic right shoulder disability and denied her claim for service connection. The issue of entitlement to service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of relevant evidence, including an examination to assess the severity of his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder and degenerative joint disease of the left knee.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of post-operative left shoulder rotator cuff tear are currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The RO has granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for post-operative tender and painful scarring of the left shoulder. Service connection for a right shoulder disability was denied.

The Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for shoulder, headache, hip, and leg disabilities are granted. The underlying claims of entitlement to increased ratings for service-connected residuals of a compression fracture, C-6 with degenerative disc disease and sinusitis are deferred pending completion of the development sought in the remand that follows.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right shoulder, right knee, and back disabilities are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his cervical spine disability was denied. His right shoulder arthralgia was not service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining additional medical records. The Veteran asserts that his service-connected right shoulder injury presents greater impairment than currently assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of such severity as to preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and personnel records.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew it prior to a decision being made.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for recurrent subluxation of the right shoulder, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board denied service connection for bursitis of the right shoulder in November 1979, based on evidence that was considered at that time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the claimed disabilities did not meet the criteria for service connection based on direct evidence or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder and COPD are found to be related to service. The skin rash is not linked to service, but the Board finds that there is no evidence of a current left shoulder disability.