Shoulder decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disorder is etiologically related to his active military service and grants service connection for post-traumatic arthritis of the left shoulder.

The Veteran's claim has been remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination to address her neurological impairment and whether a separate compensable rating is warranted for left shoulder nerve damage.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete personnel records, and further efforts are needed to determine if the appellant was on INACDUTRA during his service. The issues of service connection for right shoulder disability and neck disability remain under consideration.

The Veteran's left shoulder arthritis has been rated at 20 percent since April 7, 2010. The claim for an initial increased rating is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed left and right shoulder disabilities, as well as her left and right knee arthritis, are not etiologically related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's left shoulder post-operative degenerative joint disease is rated at 30 percent, and no higher. The right hip degenerative joint disease remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions regarding the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a disability manifested by fungus of the shoulders and neck, as well as his claim for a dental disability, were denied. The denial on the fungus claim is final due to lack of new and material evidence. The dental claim was not reopened.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder impingement status post arthroscopic surgery with superficial neuropathy of the right anterior shoulder is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.,The Veteran's service-connected left knee patellofemoral pain with Baker's cyst is currently rated as noncompensable (0 percent) and has not been increased since December 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing via videoconference. The right shoulder disability claim remains pending and will be adjudicated after the hearing.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to transportation issues preventing VA from scheduling necessary examinations at the Dallas VAMC. The Veteran will be provided with 30-days advance notice of these examinations and all pertinent records must be obtained.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, respiratory condition, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent from May 4, 2005 to December 22, 2005. The Board found that the symptoms were adequately contemplated by the schedular rating criteria and denied an extraschedular rating for this period. For the time period in question, there is no other service-connected disability affecting employment. Therefore, entitlement to a TDIU was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disabilities are rated at the maximum schedular rating of 20 percent each, and an extra-schedular evaluation is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to inadequate medical opinions and outstanding records. The RO must obtain additional medical records, provide a supplemental opinion regarding the low back disorder, right shoulder disorder, erectile dysfunction, and lower extremity muscle cramping, and ensure that all development actions are completed.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is service-connected as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disorder. The claims for service connection for the left shoulder and chloracne are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are denied. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities related to his knee disorders, elbow disorders, shoulder disorders, neck/cervical spine disorder, low back/lumbar spine disorder, bilateral foot disorder, hip disorders, or hand disorders. Additionally, there is no indication that the Veteran's hearing loss disability was incurred in service.

The Veteran's PTSD claim is granted, and he is assigned a 10 percent disability rating for his left shoulder disability since the date of claim. The initial ratings are 10 percent prior to April 30, 2012, and 20 percent thereafter.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder due to insufficient medical opinions and further development is needed.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the claims of service connection for bilateral hip condition and bilateral shoulder condition. As a result, these claims are dismissed.