Shoulder decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested the withdrawal of his appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to June 29, 2009, and of a rating in excess of 20 percent on and after June 29, 2009, for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, body rash, insomnia, and a left shoulder disorder. The claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder was also denied.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's right shoulder disorder, which may be related to service. The claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder with impingement syndrome, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of a left elbow chip fracture and dislocation, is denied. The evidence does not establish a direct relationship between his current disability and service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, rated at 40% from February 1, 2005 to October 17, 2011 and now increased to 50%, is characterized by severe, painful motion of the affected extremity.

The Veteran's initial claim for a noncompensable evaluation for his left shoulder disability was granted, and the evaluation was increased to 10 percent effective July 27, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling an examination to assess residual scarring. The claim will be readjudicated based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder rotator cuff impingement, right elbow traumatic arthritis, and cervical spine degenerative disc disease are being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain outstanding VA treatment records and schedule another VA orthopedic examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a left shoulder disability that is attributable to military service or to a service-connected disability. The criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for recurrent dislocation, right shoulder, have not been met.

The Board found no evidence of a relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral shoulder disability and his active duty military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disorder and denied a compensable initial disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss. The Board found that the Veteran's current right shoulder disorder is related to his military service, while his bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were all granted, with the exception of her claim for bronchial asthma. The Board found that she did not have a current disability related to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder rotator cuff tear has resulted in pain and stiffness, but not painful limitation of motion to shoulder level. The Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right shoulder arthritis, left hand arthritis, bilateral wrist arthritis, bilateral knee arthritis and bilateral hip arthritis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected recurrent subluxation of the left shoulder with degenerative osteoarthritis is currently rated at 30 percent effective October 4, 2011. The Board has granted this rating.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but denied the claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and right shoulder disability. The Veteran's PTSD is linked to his in-service combat experience.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bursitis of the elbows and right shoulder bursitis are not related to his service, thus denying these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including those related to his cervical and lumbar spine conditions. The appeals were based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, hemorrhoids and anal fissures, and postoperative impingement syndrome with osteophytes of the right shoulder have been granted service connection. The Veteran is currently rated at 30% for his postoperative impingement syndrome with osteophytes of the right shoulder.