Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diagnosed arthritis of the right shoulder, and his claims for bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus are denied as there is no current disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA orthopedic examination.

The Veteran's joint pains are attributed to known clinical diagnoses and not due to an undiagnosed illness. Service connection for the claimed disability is denied.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was rated at 50 percent since October 1, 2005.,For the cervical spine disability, a rating in excess of 30 percent is not warranted. The Veteran has forward flexion limited to 20 degrees and lateral flexion limited to 15 degrees on each side.,The lumbar spondylosis with degenerative joint disease was rated at 10 percent prior to August 3, 2006; a rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted from that date onwards. The Veteran's range of motion has been limited due to pain on motion.,Right shoulder tendonitis was rated at 10 percent prior to November 1, 2007 and thereafter. The Veteran had right arm range of motion restricted to shoulder level due to pain on motion.,Left wrist tendonitis (residual of a left wrist injury) is service connected.,No residuals of the left foot injury are service connected.,Erectile dysfunction was service connected, but no compensable rating is warranted.,Varicocelectomy is not service connected.,Right index finger fracture and left index finger fracture were not service connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, a bilateral shoulder disability, neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The decision also addressed his claim for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and cervical spine arthritis, as well as his TDIU request.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an ovarian cyst, a right foot disorder (claimed as fracture), a right shoulder disorder, recurrent otitis media, and a right ankle disorder (claimed as sprain).

The Board denied the Veteran's increased rating claims for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar, dorsal, and cervical spines. The claim to reopen service connection for a left shoulder disability was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed lumbar spine, left shoulder, and right hand disabilities are not service-connected. The psychiatric disability is also denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or link to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA examination reports and the Veteran's request for a travel board hearing.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed left shoulder rotator cuff tear is not related to his service-connected left shoulder pectoral scar or military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the appellant's request for withdrawal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development of his reserve component records and additional clinical records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder disability were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinea pedis, and plantar fasciitis. The initial compensable evaluations for recurrent lipomas, multiple lipoma excision scars on the left flank and right elbow, and a left flank scar have also been denied. The Board has not addressed the claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right elbow, right ankle, right shoulder, lower jaw, right foot sural neuropathy, or left foot sural neuropathy as they are considered part of the initial grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of left shoulder disability, service connection for a chronic gastric disorder and PTSD were denied. The claim for an effective date prior to February 2, 2007, for hypoesthesia of the left upper extremity was referred.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for neurological impairment of the left shoulder and an initial rating higher than 20 percent for residuals of a left shoulder injury on an extraschedular basis has been denied. The evidence does not support granting these claims.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right shoulder disorder and cervical disorder was denied. The initial evaluation for the right shoulder disorder remains at 20 percent, while a 40 percent rating is maintained for the cervical disorder.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, diagnosed as sternoclavicular degenerative joint disease, has been rated at 10 percent since the grant of service connection. The Board found that the evidence supported this rating based on arthritis and limitation of motion.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was initially rated as noncompensable from December 1, 2004. From March 16, 2006, a 10 percent rating is granted.