Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disability related to service, and his respiratory disability is not linked to service. The cervical spine disability was also found not to be related to service or his service-connected right shoulder disability.,As such, the claims for service connection for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right shoulder disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral shoulder and back disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, and denied his claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations or service connection under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the April 1991 rating decision is not new and material, thus denying the reopening of the claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities. The veteran's cervical spine disorder with traumatic arthritis and discogenic changes is currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective October 24, 1963. The appeal for a higher rating has been denied.

The veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a permanent and total disability rating for VA pension purposes.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Cervical Spine, Radiculopathy of the Left Shoulder/Arm, Headaches, Hypertension, and Corneal Abrasion of the Right Eye) meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined 80% disability rating.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain treatment records from a Dallas VAMC for the veteran's back, hip, and shoulder injuries. The case is now remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder was not incurred or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of his right shoulder and a right thumb disorder, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The veteran's current joint pain is not related to his inservice injuries.,For his service-connected laceration, right shoulder, the Board found that the disability results in only barely discernable scars with no functional limitation.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder tendonitis and a bilateral arm disability, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, are being remanded for further development.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic neck or right shoulder condition in service, and there is insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish service connection. The veteran's lay statements regarding the onset of his conditions were not credible given the lack of contemporaneous medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder condition, but the veteran's claim was denied due to lack of current disability evidence. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder warrants a disability rating of 40 percent, which is more than the current 20 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bursitis of the right shoulder and fibrocystic breast disease are both service-connected.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the service-connected thoracic spine disorder, effective from the date of the initial claim. Service connection was also established for arthritis of the spine as secondary to a service-connected disorder.

The veteran's service connection claim for bilateral testicular atrophy is granted. The RO denied the claims for left shoulder, left arm, cervical spine, and lumbar spine disabilities on the basis that there was no explanation of their origin during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current shoulder and back disabilities are related to his service.

The Board has determined that service connection for the claimed right shoulder and left wrist disabilities is not warranted based on the lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to service.