Shoulder decisions — 2011

The Veteran's neck, upper back, and shoulder disabilities are being reviewed for service connection as secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine. The rating for his lumbar strain is also under review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and stress fractures in the bilateral lower extremities was denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities. The Board finds that the Veteran has not met the first requirement for service connection, which requires proof of a current disability.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his knee and shoulder disabilities have been granted, with the right shoulder receiving a separate rating for instability. The left hand and left wrist conditions are not currently under appeal.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim for further development and an examination to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an audiologist examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current left ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient response to private medical opinions and failure to consider lay assertions of continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disorder has been reopened and is now considered. The evidence shows that the Veteran currently suffers from a right shoulder disorder, which was not previously established as part of his original claim.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities have been granted with initial disability ratings of 20 percent each, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right shoulder or right hip disability due to disease or injury incurred in service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right shoulder conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Board finds that the Veteran did not experience any chronic shoulder conditions during his military service.,For the issue of initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, the criteria have not been met as the Veteran's puretone thresholds do not meet the requirements for an initial compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between his current diagnoses and his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's right shoulder arthritis and impingement are currently rated at 30 percent effective from May 2, 2007. The claim for an increased evaluation is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder scapulothoracic myofascial pain syndrome does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims of increased evaluations for myofascial pain of the right shoulder girdle muscles and hypertension with erectile dysfunction were denied as there was no new and material evidence to reopen his service connection claim, and the VA examinations did not show an increase in severity since the last examination.

The Veteran's appeal involves two issues: an effective date for a 60 percent disability rating for heart disease and a TDIU. Both claims are currently pending, but the Board has not yet made a decision on them.

The Board has granted service connection for anterior instability of the right shoulder and residuals of a left calf gastrocnemius medial head tear, to include muscle spasms. The Veteran's current disabilities have been evaluated based on their direct relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a more contemporaneous medical examination of his right shoulder disability, as the last VA examination was conducted over two years ago. The Veteran contends that his service-connected right shoulder disability is more disabling than the current noncompensable evaluation reflects.

The Veteran's claim for various service connection issues was remanded, and the RO is now denying his claims for increased ratings. The evidence does not support a compensable rating for any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, previously adjudicated as service connection for facet joint syndrome of the neck and shoulders and arthritis of the spinal column, is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities were not incurred during or as a result of service, nor are they related to his service-connected left knee disability. The low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 5243 for degenerative arthritis with limitation of motion.