Shoulder decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the appeal due to a failure to schedule a travel board hearing at the RO, and the Veteran's request for such a hearing is pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding medical records and authorization forms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities, and readjudicating his claims.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a cervical spine disorder, which he attributes to his active duty service. The Board has determined that additional development is needed due to the lack of medical nexus opinions and VA treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative osteoarthritis of the right shoulder has been evaluated as noncompensable since December 25, 2005. The VA examiner found no limitation of motion that would warrant a compensable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder and bilateral knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disorder and left eardrum disorder have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions. The claims for service connection for left shoulder, left knee, and right knee disorders are pending due to the need for further clarification from VA medical examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder degenerative joint disease was denied since the evidence did not show that his range of motion, recurrent dislocation, or ankylosis met the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected back and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of left shoulder injury, partial rotator cuff tear have been manifested by limitation of motion to approximately 25 degrees from side. The disability does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder disability was not caused or aggravated by service or his service-connected left wrist ganglion cyst, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate rationale in a previous medical opinion regarding secondary service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder and low back disorders. The case will be returned to the RO for further review after obtaining an updated medical opinion.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet criteria for service connection for PTSD, and his claimed low back disorder is best characterized as primary insomnia. The Veteran's other claims of service connection were denied due to lack of a diagnosed condition within one year post-service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee chondromalacia, right shoulder rotator cuff syndrome, and respiratory disorder are related to her military service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 10 percent from June 3, 1998, to August 15, 2007, and at 20 percent as of August 16, 2007.,VA denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability, specifically diagnosed as adhesive capsulitis, was not incurred in service or is otherwise casually related to active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including pulmonary edema, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and other disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 18, 1998 for the award of TDIU and found that DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are warranted due to the Veteran's unemployability.