Shoulder decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and left knee disabilities do not render him so helpless as to require regular aid and attendance of another person, thus his claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and assistance is denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder and lumbar spine muscle spasms with degenerative disc disease have been granted service connection, but the Veteran is only entitled to a 20% evaluation for his lumbar spine condition from October 7, 2015 onwards.

The Veteran is entitled to a 20 percent rating for his right shoulder strain with degenerative arthritis from July 1, 2011 to September 28, 2016. He is not entitled to any higher ratings during this period.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder bursitis have been rated at 20 percent since January 26, 2017. Prior to that date, the disability was rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder condition, left foot condition, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are not service-connected as they did not manifest in service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and conducting VA examinations to assess the severity of his sleep apnea, left shoulder disabilities, and scar condition.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 10 percent prior to December 1, 2009 and at 20 percent from December 1, 2009 to April 12, 2010. From April 12, 2010, the rating remained at 40 percent.,The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability was rated at 20 percent prior to January 11, 2007 and at 40 percent from January 11, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining all relevant VA and private treatment records, providing addendum opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's knee, shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities, and considering the combined impact of his service-connected conditions on his occupational functioning.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 20 percent since March 17, 2010. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted for the period prior to December 7, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical strain.

The Veteran's recurrent sinusitis is not rated higher than noncompensable due to the presence of only two non-incapacitating episodes per year.,Service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder was denied as there is no evidence linking it to service. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and right shoulder disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of chronic symptoms in service or continuous symptoms since service. The VA examiner opined that these conditions are not causally related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected iliotibial band syndrome, right knee; chronic thoracic back strain; and rotator cuff tear and impingement syndrome of the right shoulder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability and shoulder disability, as well as his claim for TDIU based on these disabilities, have all been denied due to the lack of evidence showing that he has any current service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to evaluate the severity of his service-connected right shoulder, left knee, and cervical spine disorders.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been withdrawn by his representative. The Board does not have jurisdiction to review these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition. The right leg disorder claim was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the left shoulder condition secondary to right shoulder bursitis and degenerative joint disease has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal regarding the increased disability rating for lumbar spine arthritis has been withdrawn.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for tinnitus, which is now granted.,Service connection for tinnitus is established as it is at least as likely as not related to active duty service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right and left knee disorders, including chondromalacia with arthritis, and right shoulder disorder are not related to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease leading to these conditions.