Shoulder decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and records, including a VA examination for his service-connected right foot arthritis and its impact on the claimed disabilities. The claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service, and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected orthopedic residuals of a right shoulder injury are currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5201. The VA examiner found no additional limitation in motion due to pain or other factors.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development of his shoulder disabilities, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an orthopedic examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right and left shoulder disabilities. Additionally, a TDIU claim may be inferred from the evidence.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for any claimed conditions, including TBI, cervical spine/neck disability, bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's reported symptoms were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's left shoulder tendonitis with acromioclavicular joint arthritis was not related to service, and the Board found no credible evidence of an in-service injury or symptomatology.,There is no current diagnosis for a left arm disability. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's symptoms are more likely due to his Klinefelter's syndrome.

The Veteran's night sweats are presumed to be related to his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, and he is granted service connection for this condition.,While the Veteran has reported bilateral shoulder pain, there is no evidence that it is due to an undiagnosed illness or otherwise related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability is being remanded due to inadequate examination and lack of rationale in the previous VA opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right shoulder acromioclavicular degenerative arthritis with impingement syndrome is not related to his service-connected healed right clavicle fracture, and thus does not warrant service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and review of his medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including foot pain, low back pain, shoulder pain, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, were denied as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's current left shoulder disability is found to be related to his in-service injury, and service connection for a left shoulder disability is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right shoulder disability, and an initial evaluation in excess of 40 percent for his lumbar spine disability. The issues were characterized as entitlement to service connection based on direct evidence.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including recurrent dislocation and strain, has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent since July 1, 2009.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, which includes a partial tendon tear and degenerative changes of the acromioclavicular joint, has not resulted in limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain with bilateral facet arthrosis and left disc herniation, as well as his right shoulder rotator cuff strain and tendonitis, do not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent. The evidence does not support additional functional loss or other factors indicating an exceptional disability picture.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation for any portion of the period on appeal.

The Board's June 1973 decision denying service connection for recurrent dislocation of the right shoulder is revised due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The evidence at that time supported a grant of service connection.

The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the bilateral knees and shoulders as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected gastric disorder.

The Veteran's cervical spine, low back, and bilateral shoulder disabilities are not service-connected as they were not incurred or aggravated during his active military service.