Shoulder decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from maintaining full-time employment during the entire appeal period.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's current shoulder disorders to her service, thus denying both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left shoulder disability and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, satisfied with the current ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected left shoulder impingement syndrome, right ankle degenerative joint disease, and left ankle sprain and degenerative changes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and knee disabilities, finding no evidence of a current disability related to military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining line-of-duty determinations and VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability does not more nearly approximate arm motion limited to midway between his side and shoulder level, thus the claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and initial compensable rating for partial gastrectomy and right shoulder surgery scars have been denied. The Board found that the appropriate effective date was November 20, 2012.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff surgery and bursitis, finding that new and material evidence was not received.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a back disability for which service connection may be granted. For the period from May 10, 2012 to June 2, 2014, his left shoulder disability was manifested by subjective reports of pain and full motion without pain or functional loss. From June 3, 2014, the Veteran's left shoulder disability has been manifested by objective findings of pain, functional loss, noncompensable limitation of motion, and normal X-ray findings.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is not service connected as it is not secondary to his service-connected left arm disability.,His laceration, left arm, medial aspect above elbow involving biceps muscle has been granted a 20% rating based on moderately severe disability.

The Board found that the April 2008 rating decision did not contain CUE in denying earlier effective dates for the Veteran's service-connected conditions. The RO assigned an effective date of February 8, 2005, which was within one year of the original claims filed by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining updated VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder are pending.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits was denied prior to his parole date of May 18, 2012 due to incarceration following a conviction.

The Veteran's generalized arthralgias of the shoulders, elbows, knees, hands, thumbs, and lumbar spine have been rated at 40 percent since June 2006. The esophagitis with Mallory Weiss syndrome and hiatal hernia has not met criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address his claims of service connection and increased ratings for left knee and shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was initially rated at 20 percent prior to December 1, 2011 and increased to 30 percent beginning December 1, 2011.

The Board found clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's pre-existing left shoulder disability existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder replacement and related conditions, high cholesterol, right knee scope and condition, left knee scope and condition, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) are all service-connected.