Shoulder Board decisions

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.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed psychiatric, knee, and unspecified joint disabilities are not related to his active service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an examination and obtaining outpatient treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of his claims file.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for residuals of burns to the right shoulder and thorax and cornea. The decision is based on current evidence not indicating a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following some form of substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a second hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board found no evidence of a left shoulder disorder during service and insufficient medical nexus to link current residuals to service. The Veteran's claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for his TDIU benefit, arguing he was unable to work due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 24, 2010. The Board has determined that there is sufficient evidence to suggest the Veteran may have been unemployable by reason of service-connected disabilities prior to this date.