Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied higher initial ratings for residuals of right and left wrist sprains, as well as for right shoulder rotator cuff dysfunction, finding no evidence of functional impairment or pain on undertaking motion, fatigue, weakness, or incoordination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right elbow disorder and a right shoulder disorder, as there was no competent medical evidence to support that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected hypertension, right and left knee disabilities, and right and left shoulder disabilities as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a neck injury and right shoulder injury were denied, while the claim to reopen for a back injury was granted.

The Veteran's hypertension, bunion of the right and left great toes, bilateral hearing loss, heart disorder, cervical disorder, lumbar disorder, left shoulder disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, left ankle disorder, bilateral hip disorder, right knee disorder, and hepatitis B were denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's arthritis, numbness of the hands, neck, and legs, stiffness and pain of the elbows, neck, and shoulders, a calcium growth on the right shoulder, and low back disability are all secondary to his service-connected meningitis.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder impingement with rotator cuff tear was rated at 10 percent, and his chronic lumbosacral strain was rated at 20 percent effective from March 22, 2001.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for recurrent dislocation of the right and left shoulders were denied as the conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for bilateral shoulder disability was denied, while the issue of service connection for bilateral knee disability was reopened.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable or higher evaluation for his cervical spine spondylosis, thoracolumbar spine spondylosis, right (major) shoulder osteoarthritis, right hip and left hip osteoarthritis, right knee and left knee osteoarthritis, right first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative arthritic changes, left first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative arthritic changes, and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent for instability, with no additional rating for limitation of motion.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected orthopedic conditions are being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.

The May 2004 rating decision was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous in assigning an effective date of March 1, 2004, for the increased ratings.

The Board denied the appeal for service connection for arthritis of the wrists, knees, and shoulders and hypertension as there was no credible evidence indicating that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied service connection for a right eye disorder and a right shoulder disorder, as well as an increased rating for the left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability warrants a 20 percent rating, but not higher, throughout the period of this claim.

The Board grants service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, finding that it is chronically aggravated by a service-connected cervical spine disability.