Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current sinusitis is related to his active duty service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.,The Board finds insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship between the Veteran's left shoulder and hip disorders and his service-connected right knee disability, thus denying secondary service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, and left knee disability. Service connection for asthma is remanded due to conflicting opinions from VA examiners. The claim for a separate rating for PTSD was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as they do not prevent him from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such a condition and the evidence does not support an in-service injury or event that could have caused the claimed disability.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder, residuals of status post left shoulder arthroscopy, and cervical spondylosis. The Veteran's lumbar spondylosis with L3-4 and L4-5 stenosis is also considered as having been incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include service connection for left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and an increased rating for depressive disorder.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for ankylosis and bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn.,Service connection for periodontal disease (for compensation purposes) is denied as it cannot be considered a compensable disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new VA examinations.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has remanded this issue for further development.,The Veteran also raised a claim for TDIU, which was added by the Board.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions that his knee, heart, right shoulder, or left shoulder conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, right shoulder disorder, right Achilles disorder, and cephalgia due to incomplete records and need for further medical examination.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as the evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right shoulder disability, finding that the pre-existing condition did not increase in severity during active duty and was not related to service.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, back disability, and tinnitus. The claims for right shoulder disability and back disability are remanded due to additional evidence needed. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder disability is related to his service. The claim will be reviewed again with additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient development and examination of his medical history, including in-service noise exposure, symptomatology, and treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand three issues related to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, left knee disability, and right shoulder disability due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right arm/shoulder disability, back disability, sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disability (to include depression and PTSD) due to potential new evidence or clarification of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine condition was reopened and granted. The appeal for service connection of the right shoulder condition is remanded.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection of a right shoulder disorder because no new and material evidence was submitted, despite hearing testimony and lay statements.