Shoulder decisions — 2015

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the reduction in rating for service-connected right shoulder disability from 20 percent to 10 percent effective March 29, 2010 was proper and restoration of the prior rating is denied. The Veteran's overall compensation remained at 40 percent throughout the period on appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, but severed it from his active duty. The claim of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for a right knee disability is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's bilateral knee and right shoulder disabilities are not related to service.,His pes planus manifests with painful motion, pain on use, but no swelling or callosities. He is currently rated at a 10% for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess her disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including affording her with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any current right shoulder disability, frostbite residuals of the nipples and toes, bowel disability, and left knee, ankle, and right ankle disabilities. The Veteran is also requested to be afforded another opportunity to appear for an examination to determine the etiology of any current right shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to July 27, 2012 for PTSD with depressive disorder NOS and her TDIU claim were both denied as she was not unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability was not incurred or aggravated during active service and is not related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability is denied.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbosacral spine is found to be secondary to her service-connected right shoulder disorder. The claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent from August 1, 2008, for right shoulder rotator cuff injury/repair remains pending.

The Board found no evidence of an in-service injury to the right shoulder and concluded that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is not related to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service. The remaining claims for service connection for left elbow disorder, left shoulder disorder, residuals of a left-side rib injury, low back disorder, and cervical spine disorder are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his right shoulder disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and cervical spine disability, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the right shoulder claim. The cervical spine disability was not found to be related to active duty.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for glenohumbral osteoarthritis of the right shoulder, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected left shoulder condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that new evidence did not relate his current back disability to service, and the claim was denied. For the laceration scars of the upper left back, a rating prior to September 23, 2008, was denied as there was no evidence of disabling manifestations. Since then, a 10% rating has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and providing new opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disability. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability and entitlement to an increased rating for status post left total knee replacement with history of anterior ligament reconstruction are also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral allergic conjunctivitis and blepharitis, finding that the Veteran's current eye conditions had their onset in service. The remaining issues of service connection for a bilateral shoulder condition, neck condition, back condition, and other eye conditions are still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and readjudicating the claims with consideration of all evidence. The Veteran's appeal is now pending again.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of her right knee disability, as well as her claims for effective dates. The case is also being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.