Shoulder decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for low back, right shoulder and bilateral elbow disabilities due to overuse in service. The Veteran's congenital Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was aggravated by the physical demands of service.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including residuals of a right shoulder injury, arthritis of the right shoulder, and nerve problems in the neck and shoulder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder condition is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there was no new and material evidence to reopen his claim for a back disorder. The other claims were also denied as the Veteran did not have current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, DEA under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35, and service-connected burial benefits due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or contributed substantially to his death.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for all issues related to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings or earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a seizure disorder and right shoulder disability, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the seizure disorder claim and that the right shoulder disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty or federalized National Guard service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims for service connection for arthritis of the hands, arms, legs, and shoulders, water blisters on the hands and feet, loose teeth and calcium knots on the inside of the jaw, injury to the chest, injury to the face with steering wheel fragments, and status post fusion of the cervical spine at C5-6 with osteoarthritis to the left arm. The claims for service connection for COPD/emphysema and knee injuries are reopened.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for foreign body in the right hand was reopened and granted. Service connection was also granted for right hand injury residuals. The appeal for service connection for a right shoulder disorder was dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability and scar have been granted service connection, but a noncompensable rating has been assigned for the scar.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a knot in the groin area was granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for chest pain, swollen tonsils, sinus disorder and left shoulder disorder were denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, left shoulder, and lumbar spine are presumed to have been incurred during his period of active service due to their manifestation within one year of separation.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, including atrophy of the left bicep and tendinopathy/tendinitis of the supraspinatus tendon, has been manifested by episodes of dislocation with severe pain and limited range of motion to approximately shoulder level since May 16, 2010. The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete information and need for additional examinations. The appeal is currently pending further development.

The Board determined that the Veteran's conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes, resulting in denial of his claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of any upper torso skeletal disorder, including a shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to an employment conflict, and his hearing at the RO in Oakland, California needs to be rescheduled.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private and VA treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the current level of impairment resulting from her service-connected left shoulder tendonopathy, and considering whether a separate compensable rating is warranted for left shoulder nerve damage.