Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disorder and denied the claim for an increased rating for scars to the left waist.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete medical records from the VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas. The AMC/RO must obtain these records and review the claims.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations and service connection were denied. The conditions claimed, including hemorrhoids, parotid calculus and lump on the left cheek, skin condition of the hands, bronchitis, laryngitis, frostbite of the feet and hands, otitis media, compression neuropathy of the left side, bilateral knee pain and fluid, allergic reaction to a typhoid shot (chronic rhinitis), and exposure to ethylene and nitrous oxide gases were not found to be service-connected or warrant higher initial evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and further development of evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder and secondary service connection for a right shoulder rotator cuff injury. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be related to his active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and denied service connection for multiple joint and muscle pain involving the neck, shoulders, and elbows as well as chest cavity pain, both claimed as due to an undiagnosed illness. The Veteran's PTSD was found to be incurred in service, while his other claims were not supported by evidence.

The Veteran is seeking a higher rating for his service-connected post-operative residuals, putti-platt repair right shoulder injury with traumatic arthritis and ulnar nerve entrapment syndrome. The Board has ordered the RO to schedule the Veteran for appropriate examinations to evaluate the current severity of his disability, including neurological and muscular manifestations.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have any chronic lumbar spine, right shoulder or left knee conditions, nor cysts of the lower abdominal wall, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for all issues except gout, which received a 20% disability rating. The remaining conditions were either not granted or had their ratings denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims of service connection for disabilities of the shoulders and knees, but ultimately denied these claims on the merits.

The Veteran's knee, elbow, and shoulder strains are being remanded for further development to determine if they are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and examination.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's service-connected right and left shoulder disabilities, finding that he was already receiving the maximum schedular ratings.

The Veteran's claims for residual scarring from right shoulder arthroscopic surgery, histoplasmosis with lung tissue scarring, and osteoarthritis of the left hand were denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during his service or at any point thereafter.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected left shoulder and left knee disabilities, finding that they were not related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder disability and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, heartburn and stomach pains, and low back pain were denied. The claim for service connection for a chronic disability claimed as heartburn and stomach pains was not well-grounded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, back disability, major depressive disorder, lipoma of the neck and shoulder, and respiratory disorder (emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) have been denied as there is no verified in-service stressor, no current diagnosis or link to service, and no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's service-connected osteoarthritis, left knee, is characterized by subjective complaints of pain and slight limitation of motion. The Veteran's service-connected status post rotator cuff tear with tendonitis, left shoulder, was characterized by a slight decrease in active and passive range of motion, accompanied by pain. The RO granted the initial compensable evaluation for osteoarthritis, left knee, but denied an increased rating for status post rotator cuff tear with tendonitis, left shoulder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and therefore denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied, but his claim for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left shoulder and back is granted.