Shoulder decisions — 2012

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the hands and shoulders in December 2007. New evidence received since then does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, while the left shoulder rotator cuff tear is found to be unrelated to service.

The Veteran's gallbladder disease and left shoulder disability were not found to be the result of VA care, thus his claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 are denied.

The Board granted an initial compensable evaluation (20%) for the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability, finding that his functional loss due to pain more nearly approximates limitation of motion at shoulder level.

The VA determined that the Veteran's right shoulder and bilateral hip disorders are not related to her active service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service. The Board finds the VA examination opinion credible and concludes that the current conditions are not due to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder bursitis and left mid-scapular myositis were denied as there was no evidence of functional impairment warranting a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is reasonably shown to have been caused by his service-connected left TKR, and therefore grants secondary service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder impingement, bilateral wrist condition, and right hand ganglion cyst removal residuals.,A compensable rating of 10% is assigned for the service-connected herpes simplex.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, left shoulder injury, neck injury, right knee injury, and left knee injury were denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left shoulder disability or low back disability, and thus cannot establish service connection for either condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. His claims for increased ratings for cervical spine arthritis, right shoulder rotator cuff syndrome, and bilateral hearing loss are still pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle disorder, degenerative arthritis of the right knee, an acquired psychiatric disorder (cyclothymic disorder), and a bilateral shoulder disorder are being remanded due to new evidence received since the last final decision. The claim for increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for proximal tibial stress fractures of the left knee with osteoarthritis is dismissed.,The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral ankle disorder, degenerative arthritis of the right knee, an acquired psychiatric disorder (cyclothymic disorder), and a bilateral shoulder disorder are being remanded. The claim for increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for proximal tibial stress fractures of the left knee with osteoarthritis is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a right hand disorder, right shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, and herniated pulpous at L4-L5, status post spinal fusion and laminectomy. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, including impingement syndrome and degenerative joint disease, was incurred in active service due to an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to address the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was found to have been productive of a level of functional impairment due to pain that more nearly approximated restriction of movement to shoulder level prior to July 6, 2010. The Veteran is now rated at 20 percent for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and issuing a statement of the case on the issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims of entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability. The Veteran's hypertension claim is also remanded for another examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder was not caused or aggravated by any incident of active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed shoulder, low back, left foot, or right foot disability and thus denied service connection for all four disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed blood disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and back disorder. The VA examiner found no direct link between these conditions and his service-connected splenomegaly.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is aggravated by his service-connected residuals of fracture of the calcaneus of the left foot. The Board grants service connection for this condition.