Shoulder decisions — 2013

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder and cervical spine disorders, finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a low back or left shoulder disability attributable to service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, degenerative changes of the left shoulder, and a low back disability. Service connection was not granted for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity as it is not considered secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that further action is needed to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records and will remand the case for this purpose.

The Board found that the Veteran's progressive arthritis of multiple joints did not have its onset during service and is not related to his service-connected cervical spine arthritis. The condition was determined to be a direct result of natural progression over time.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right shoulder disability, and hearing loss, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a grant of service connection for frostbite of the feet and bilateral shoulder disorder, as there are no chronic or progressive symptoms documented in the claims file. The April 2012 VA examination report did not provide an opinion on whether these conditions were related to active service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of right shoulder, neck, and back injuries as they are not linked to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder, heart condition, and/or hypertension were not service-connected.,Bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his hearing request and the underlying claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left shoulder disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of residuals of a left shoulder injury and lumbosacral spine disorder, finding no evidence to support these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active duty.

The Veteran's service connection for a psychiatric disorder and left shoulder impingement is granted, but the initial rating for left shoulder impingement remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder disability did not pre-exist service and was not aggravated by service. The hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, while the right eardrum perforation was also not shown to be related to service.

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

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disorder has been productive of no more than moderate impairment, warranting a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including sending proper VCAA notice and obtaining treatment records. The VA will also schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his current disabilities and their likely etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a disability manifested by chronic pain of the left toe, hip, knee, and shoulder due to disease or injury that is secondary to her service-connected herpetic neuralgia. The claim for headaches as secondary to herpetic neuralgia was denied because no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, degenerative changes of the thoracic spine, and right knee patellofemoral stress syndrome were denied as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder disability. The Veteran's current left shoulder disability is related to his in-service injury, but the extent of any right shoulder disability remains unclear.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, degenerative disk disease of the cervical spine, bilateral elbow disorder, and bilateral knee disabilities (post-total knee arthroplasty).