Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Veteran withdrew his appeal in December 2017, resulting in the dismissal of this case.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's right fifth finger fracture has been rated as noncompensable since the effective date of service connection. The VA examiner found no limitation of motion and only one minor joint involved, thus not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 5003.,Service connection for the left shoulder/collar bone disability was denied because there is no evidence that the current condition is related to the in-service injury. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current shoulder issues are due to a new injury post-military service.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain, degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The claims of service connection for bilateral shoulder disorder, ulcer disorder, and right leg disorder were previously denied due to lack of evidence. New evidence submitted since the previous decisions does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disorder has been granted, with a 40 percent evaluation effective August 24, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development due to allegations of worsening since the last VA examination in January 2014.

The Board has found that service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder is warranted, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The issues of hypertension and shortness of breath are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with its April 2017 remand directives. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, secondary to his service-connected gout and/or lumbar strain, is now pending.

The Veteran's right shoulder injury, hypertension, and bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis are all found to be related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disability related to the bilateral knees, shoulders, hands, back, and elbows is not etiologically related to his military service or a service-connected condition. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder and cervical spine disabilities, finding that these conditions are related to his military service. The right hip disability claim is pending as it was not addressed in the November 2015 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability was denied, and his claim for an increased rating for cervical spine disability resulted in a 10% rating being assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the criteria for entitlement to a TDIU are met.

The Board has remanded the GERD and right shoulder disability claims for additional development due to outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's left shoulder strain with chronic multi-directional instability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including a left shoulder condition and respiratory disorder, are not service-connected. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or exposure to known risk factors.

The Veteran does not have a current left ankle condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service.,The Veteran does not have a current right shoulder condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service, nor does he have a current right shoulder condition that was caused by, or aggravated by, a service-connected right elbow disability.,The Veteran does not have a current lumbar spine condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service.,The Veteran does not have a current bone condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service.,The Veteran does not have a current right hand carpal tunnel syndrome condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service, nor does he have a current right hand carpal tunnel syndrome condition that was caused by, or aggravated by, a service-connected right elbow disability.,The Veteran does not have a current left hand carpal tunnel syndrome condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service, nor does he have a current left hand carpal tunnel syndrome condition that was caused by, or aggravated by, a service-connected right elbow disability.,The Veteran does not have a current right knee condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service, nor does he have a current right knee condition that was caused by, or aggravated by, a service-connected right elbow disability.,The Veteran does not have a current left knee condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service, nor does he have a current left knee condition that was caused by, or aggravated by, a service-connected right elbow disability.,The Veteran does not have a current right hip condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service.,The Veteran does not have a current left hip condition that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected fracture of the sternum was granted, with a 10 percent rating effective from January 23, 2004. The appeals for an extraschedular rating for his right shoulder disability and scars were denied.