Shoulder decisions — 2011

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Beatrice Community Hospital on December 2, 2005 were denied as the treatment was for a nonservice-connected condition and he had other health care coverage under an insurance plan.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of the lower back and tailbone, left shoulder, or neck. The VA examiner found no chronic symptoms related to these conditions during service and did not find any current diagnoses for them. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder peritendinitis, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder pectoral scar.

The Veteran's right first toe fracture is rated as a moderate impairment, warranting a 10% disability rating.,There is no evidence of a current bilateral shoulder disability related to service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating of his gastrointestinal disability were denied. The Board found that the residuals of duodenal ulcer with a history of gastritis, duodenitis, and hiatal hernia warranted a 10% evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right shoulder disorder is denied as there was no current disability found, and the symptoms were not continuous since service separation.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder, right hip, and right leg disabilities due to the lack of competent medical evidence showing current diagnoses or a link between these conditions and active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's post-operative left shoulder disability and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, status post fusion are related to his active duty service. The respiratory disability is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a non-VA facility is denied because the VA facilities were feasibly available to treat her chronic neck and shoulder pain, which was not an emergency condition.

The Veteran is seeking a permanent and total disability rating for nonservice-connected pension purposes. The Board finds there are insufficient records to determine the current severity of his disabilities, including depression, hepatitis C, residuals of frost bite to the feet, and left shoulder disorder, which may impact his employability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right shoulder disorder is related to service, and grants service connection for this condition. The issues of secondary service connection for left arm and low back disorders are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left shoulder disorders may be related to his active duty service, but further examination is needed to determine this relationship.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to procedural deficiencies and the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression, renal insufficiency with hypertension, incisional hernia, diabetes mellitus with retinopathy and impotence, right knee disability, left knee disability, neurodermatitis, tinnitus, limitation of motion of the right knee, hearing loss, and other conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has received notification from the Appellant that he wishes to withdraw his claims for service connection for ankylosing spondylitis of the thoracolumbar and cervical spine, lateral epicondylitis of the right elbow, a right forearm injury, and degenerative arthritis of the right knee. As such, these claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's initial increased rating claim for her service-connected right shoulder strain has been granted, with a current evaluation of 10 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee and left shoulder conditions were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee, right knee sprain, and bilateral shoulder sprain are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck and left shoulder disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service. The claim for service connection was denied.