Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, right shoulder disorder, right ankle disorder, and low back disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and shortness of breath were also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right shoulder disability was denied.,Service connection for PTSD was not granted due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, and right shoulder arthritis. Service connection was also granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and PTSD). The Veteran's hearing loss and fibromyalgia claims are remanded. The rating of the Veteran's radiculopathy is also remanded. TDIU is remanded as it is intertwined with other issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is required to provide medical records from his private doctors, and a VA examination will be conducted.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected conditions, including his adjustment disorder and various musculoskeletal issues, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His combined rating is at the maximum level.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to substitution as a claimant and consideration of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a prior decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not found new and material evidence to support these claims. The left shoulder disability claim is granted as there is now credible evidence of a current condition. The left knee disability, sinus disability (including sinusitis), sleep disorder (including sleep apnea and secondary to tinnitus), and hypertension claims are denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The appeals for the claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of bilateral hips, knees, elbows, feet, hands, and shoulders have been dismissed. The claim of service connection for a low back disorder has been reopened but is still pending as it was remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for substance abuse, secondary to PTSD and increased rating for service connected PTSD. The Veteran's appeal for a 10 percent rating for his left thumb scar from November 4, 2009 to September 28, 2015 was granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability was denied as there is no current diagnosis and the Board found that his subjective complaints of pain alone do not constitute a disability.,For residuals of a right distal fibula fracture, prior to April 9, 2018, the Veteran's claim was denied as he did not have a marked ankle disability. Effective April 9, 2018, a rating of 30 percent was granted for malunion with marked ankle disability.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and hip disabilities were both denied as there is no evidence that the flexion limitation meets or exceeds the required criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's cervical spine and left shoulder disorders are granted as service connected because they are linked to injuries sustained during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, lumbar sprain (low back condition), left lower extremity nerve condition, and right lower extremity nerve condition. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.,Service connection was not established for the claimed conditions due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence of functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic allergic rhinitis, an undiagnosed illness manifested by gastrointestinal symptoms, rotator cuff strain and arthritis of the acromioclavicular joint of the left shoulder, and hypertension have all been granted. The initial rating for hypertension is set at 10 percent.

Service connection for a right knee disability, right shoulder disability, tinnitus, and lumbar spine disability is granted.,A rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right shoulder disability has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is now remanded for further examination and determination.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is rated at 60 percent prior to May 3, 2016 and denied for increased ratings thereafter. The Veteran's PTSD remains at a 30 percent rating. His residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right shoulder are not rated higher than 40 percent on an extraschedular basis.,The Veteran is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder condition is related to service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this disability.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability is being remanded for further evaluation and to obtain additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is being remanded for an addendum opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not related to his right shoulder disability. The right shoulder disability claim is also being remanded for a new examination, including nerve/sensory evaluation of the right upper extremity and hand. The TDIU claim is intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but the issues of service connection for a shoulder condition, residuals of a back injury, bilateral hearing loss, disability manifested by earaches, tinnitus, and headaches are remanded.