Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, but denied both claims as there is no evidence of a nexus to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for traumatic brain injury was withdrawn by the appellant.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability, and thus remands the case for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further review due to the need to determine if he meets the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's arthritis and numbness are being remanded for additional development to determine their relationship to service, specifically exposure to cold.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral finger, right shoulder, and left thigh conditions have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the record.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling new VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed low back, left knee, left shoulder, and psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is due to injury superimposed upon his congenital scoliosis during service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, bilateral knee, and right shoulder disorders are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology or an in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is not attributable to service or his service-connected right shoulder disability, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The appeal is being remanded for additional development due to recent changes in the evidence. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered after this new information.

The Veteran withdrew from appellate consideration the issues on appeal, including the increased rating claim for degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, and the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, glaucoma, bilateral gynecomastia, status post subcutaneous mastectomy, left and right knee disorders, left and right shoulder disorders, a cervical spine disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his right shoulder disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied a separate rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy and the TDIU claim. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU, but are considered to be so severe as to preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral shoulder disability, and bilateral wrist disability were denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Veteran's neck, back, cervical radiculopathy, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disorders are not causally related to or worsened by the service-connected right elbow recurrent ganglion cyst.

The Veteran is seeking a TDIU from November 6, 2006 to December 23, 2008. The Board has determined that the case should be remanded for consideration of extraschedular TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and determine the nature and etiology of his lower back disability. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is also inextricably intertwined with these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease with spondylosis, previously considered as low back condition, to include secondary to right shoulder bursitis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the functional equivalent to the loss of use of a foot, warranting automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only.