Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder has been granted, and the appeal is dismissed as there are no longer any pending issues.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the appellant's claimed disabilities are related to his active service, including heavy manual labor during deployment in Kuwait.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of his left shoulder total replacement is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right ilioinguinal neuropathy was denied. The Board also remanded several other claims related to the same incident, including those involving cervical spine disorder, left elbow disorder, left forearm disorder, and left shoulder disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a neck condition and an increased rating for his right shoulder disability due to incomplete development in previous decisions.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, rib/breast bone disorder, and chronic headaches secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining his service personnel records, VA treatment records, and SSA records. The Veteran will also be scheduled for a VA psychiatric examination to address any acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has reopened the claims for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, erectile dysfunction, skin condition as due to undiagnosed illness, obstructive sleep apnea, left foot hallux valgus, right foot hallux valgus, low back condition, hypertension, and right shoulder condition.,However, some of these issues have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a rating of 70 percent throughout the appeal period. Service connection for bilateral shoulder, elbow, knee, and foot disabilities, as well as cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are also granted.

The Board denied service connection for back, neck, and bilateral shoulder disabilities.,Service connection was not granted as the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as the evidence did not support a link to active service or Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's other claims were remanded for further development.

The Veteran's dysthymia with depression, bilateral hearing loss disability, and sleep apnea are all found to be related to his service-connected left shoulder condition. The Veteran is granted increased ratings for his distal clavicle resection of the left shoulder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder warrants a rating of 20 percent, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The effective date remains to be determined.

The Board has granted service connection for osteochondritis dissecans lesion of the right ankle, right shoulder impingement with rotator cuff tendonitis, tachycardia, and hypertension.,Service connection is established for left shoulder impingement with rotator cuff tendonitis. However, this issue was not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's left foot DJD is rated at a 10 percent evaluation, effective from the date of her claim. The right shoulder condition remains under appeal.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was denied as he does not have a diagnosis of PTSD. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against his claims of service connection for lumbar spine condition, bilateral knee condition, right shoulder condition, and migraines.

The Board has determined that the VA examination report is inadequate and additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination, is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, GERD, DJD of the right foot, hypertension, and arthritis of the AC joint of the right shoulder were denied as there was no credible evidence supporting her claimed stressors or diagnoses. The Veteran's major depressive disorder is currently rated at 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his tinnitus and right shoulder condition claims.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, including scars now claimed as traumatic arthritis, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.