Shoulder decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and left carpal tunnel syndrome are related to his active service, granting service connection for these conditions. The right shoulder disability and left shoulder disability issues remain unresolved.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and left foot disorders, as well as her claim for an increased rating for her left shoulder disability. The Veteran was granted service connection for a left shoulder disorder in November 2008 with a 10% rating, effective from November 2008. She was also granted a temporary total rating for convalescence of the left shoulder from May 9, 2011 to June 30, 2011. The Veteran's mental disorder claim is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain, status-post labrum repair is currently rated at 10 percent for painful motion and separately rated at 30 percent for recurrent dislocation of the scapulohumeral joint with frequent episodes and guarding of all arm movements. The Board granted a separate rating of 20 percent effective May 21, 2016.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability prevents him from obtaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board has referred this issue to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and cervical spine disabilities need to be remanded due to insufficient medical opinions. The VA will obtain additional records, provide new medical opinions, and then readjudicate the issues.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder, left hip, and neck disabilities. The temporary total rating for convalescence due to treatment of a service-connected left ankle disability was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for a low back disability and a psychiatric disorder, both found to be related to his military service. The claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability was denied. The claim for an increased rating for the post-operative scar due to Morton's neuroma was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated medical records and providing him with VA examinations.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for entitlement to service connection for a right arm disability (to include shoulder and hand).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an SOC on his increased rating claim and a VA examination to determine if he meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU.

Service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy was granted.,The Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis prior to September 30, 2010, did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.,The Veteran's left shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis prior to September 30, 2010, did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.,Since August 22, 2011, the Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease was rated at 30%.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and hearing loss in the right ear, finding no evidence of current disabilities or in-service injuries that could be linked to these conditions.

All issues related to service connection have been granted. The Veteran's cluster headaches are rated at 50% effective October 1, 2010.

The Board has determined that the September 2014 VA examination did not provide a fully responsive opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed left and right shoulder disabilities. The issues of service connection for these conditions are therefore remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to service connection for bilateral tinea pedis, multiple joint pain indicative of an undiagnosed illness, and a left shoulder disorder.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee, right shoulder, and right ankle disabilities. This includes obtaining a new VA examination to assess the current severity of these conditions and obtaining any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis B was not incurred during service and is not related to his military service. The remaining issues of service connection for knee meniscal tears, disc disease with chronic low back pain, sleep apnea, and shoulder rotator cuff tears were denied as well.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.