Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is being remanded for additional development, including the consideration of new VA treatment records from the 1980s. The Board will determine if his current condition is related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to unclear employment status and the need for a VA examination to assess his ability to secure or follow gainful employment.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for residuals of pseudofolliculitis barbae is granted.,Service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder, residuals of a fractured left great toe, residuals of a fractured right thumb, and residuals of an injured left hamstring are denied.,Service connection for a neck disorder is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease and his appeal regarding a higher rating for degenerative joint disease (left shoulder) remains pending.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for the issues of service connection for right index and long finger proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) osteoarthritis, left index and long finger proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) osteoarthritis, right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by pain, weakness, and limited forward flexion to 85 degrees with pain, has been rated at 20 percent since February 27, 2008. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has determined that there is no current right shoulder disability and the neck condition is not related to service or a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and notifying the Veteran of his right to report for the examination. The appeal is not yet decided on the merits.

The Veteran's left knee and right shoulder disabilities have been evaluated based on their direct service connection, but the evidence does not support an extraschedular evaluation for either condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, and lower back condition. The evidence is in equipoise as to the question of continuous symptoms with regard to these conditions.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent prior to January 19, 2011 and increased to 30 percent thereafter. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 20 percent prior to January 19, 2011 or 30 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, diagnosed as left shoulder dislocation residuals, is service-connected.,The Veteran's skin disability, diagnosed as sebaceous cysts, is service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities do not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, and his left knee disability does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent. The appeals are therefore denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus with an effective date of December 3, 2009. The Veteran's claims for other disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of right foot, right shoulder, and lumbar spine arthritis have been granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether his current disability was caused by a motorcycle accident during active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection for a back disability, an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and an increased rating for right shoulder osteoarthritis. The issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to June 13, 2011 remains on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back, cervical spine, and bilateral shoulder disabilities are secondary to his service-connected bilateral foot disability.

The Board has determined that the case is in a posture such that the Veteran's claim may be addressed on its merits and has been remanded for additional development.