Shoulder decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the existence and etiology of the Veteran's claimed cardiovascular disorder, including hypertension/high blood pressure, and left shoulder disorder. The case is being remanded for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted. His bilateral hearing loss was found to be related to his military service, rheumatoid arthritis and steroid acne are considered as resulting from or aggravated by his service-connected conditions, and the low back disability is rated higher than initially assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, small cell carcinoma of the lung, was not related to his service-connected disabilities or any in-service radiation exposure. The medical opinions of record found no connection between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death.

The Board has determined that there is no competent and probative evidence linking the Veteran's status post total hysterectomy with right salpingo-oophorectomy, and left oophoropexy to service. The claim for a compensable evaluation for lipoma of the right shoulder will be addressed in the Remand portion.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left shoulder disorder and remanded it for further development.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent disabling from August 31, 2006 to March 4, 2007. Since then, the disability has not met the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination to assess the current severity of his left shoulder disability. The TDIU claim will also be considered.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disability, including considering continuity of symptomatology since service. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Veteran's right shoulder degenerative arthritis status post shoulder replacement is granted service connection. The Veteran's current right knee osteoarthritis was not incurred during active duty service and is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and further examination of the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder and left shoulder disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the reopened claims of service connection for right knee, right shoulder, low back, bilateral hearing loss, and left knee disabilities due to the need for further development.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service for spondylosis with disc space narrowing lumbosacral spine and degenerative changes, right shoulder. The Veteran's assertions were deemed not credible due to the lack of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including right shoulder, low back, and right leg disabilities. The claims were previously denied on the merits due to lack of evidence linking current conditions to military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right elbow, left elbow tendinitis, right shoulder bursitis, left shoulder disability, bilateral knee chondromalacia, bilateral wrist disability, right ankle disability, left ankle tendinitis, and low back disability have all been granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of her right leg disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than the current 20 percent assigned.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen any of these claims. The Veteran was also denied a higher rating for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed bilateral shoulder and knee disorders, which may be related to his service-connected gunshot wound residuals. The Veteran needs to undergo VA examinations for these conditions.