Shoulder decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for depression has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hair loss has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for right (major) shoulder capsulitis with bursitis and a sinus disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service injuries. The Board also found that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's shoulder strain and bruxism, requiring further examination and review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right shoulder and elbow disabilities due to incomplete development, including a need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, as the VA examiners found that his disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder bursitis is currently rated at 10 percent, effective April 1, 2005. The disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as there is no limitation of motion to shoulder level or ankylosis.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn and the case is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability and residuals of a muscle injury of the left arm are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of various joint disabilities were denied. The Board found that the earliest date entitlement arose was November 6, 1998, when the Veteran filed a claim for increased ratings and reexamination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as the evidence did not show that his current symptoms were related to noise exposure during active duty.,Service connection for PTSD and a right shoulder disorder, and an increased initial rating for migraine headaches were withdrawn by the appellant.

The Veteran does not have a right shoulder disability that is attributable to military service and the Board finds no evidence of such a condition in service or for many years after service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, including his trapezius strain, is caused by his service-connected status-post fractured cervical spine at C4 and thus he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's lipoma of the right shoulder was rated at a noncompensable level from September 26, 2003 until March 31, 2005. From March 31, 2005 to February 2, 2006, she received a 10% rating based on pain and limited motion related to the lipoma. After that date, no compensable rating was assigned as there was no evidence of muscle injury or atrophy related to the lipoma.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and clarification of his current employment status.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the local RO due to previous delays and rescheduling issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and hepatitis C are being remanded due to incomplete records. Further development is needed, including obtaining medical opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral ankle disability, right shoulder disability, and left foot disability have been denied as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further examination of her service-connected conditions. The issues on appeal include increased ratings for left shoulder bursitis, thoracolumbar spine, PTSD, and allergic sinusitis.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of tremors of the left hand, obesity, bilateral hearing loss, and melanoma of the right shoulder have been withdrawn. The remaining claim of entitlement to service connection for melanoma of the right shoulder is remanded for further development.