Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran has a current disability of peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity that is related to service or a service-connected disability, and to ascertain the current severity and manifestations of service-connected right upper extremity axillary mononeuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for right knee surgery ACL reconstruction, bilateral knee condition, left shoulder injury, right shoulder injury, and lower back injury are being remanded as the VA examiner is needed to provide an opinion on the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a bilateral foot condition (Morton's neuroma) has been granted. Claims for bilateral ankle arthritis and bilateral shoulder arthritis have been granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his lumbosacral sprain due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his upper back and shoulder pain and his service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, low back disability with sciatica, and PTSD. Service connection was denied for right shoulder disability.

The Board has denied service connection for arthritis of the bilateral hands and remanded other issues related to the Veteran's disabilities. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection of a right shoulder disability and denied an increased rating for left shoulder adhesive capsulitis. The Veteran's current ratings are within the applicable criteria.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and right shoulder disorder, but allowed the reopening of a claim for hearing loss. The appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's left shoulder injury and right acromioclavicular separation have been granted increased disability ratings of 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively, effective July 29, 2017.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and left knee conditions due to missing VA treatment records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral shoulder disability, back disability, and neck disability due to service-connected knee disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's right knee strain and patellar tendonitis, as well as his right shoulder tendinopathy, have been granted service connection. The initial disability rating for the cervical strain remains at 10 percent, while a higher rating is denied for the left knee strain.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for a low back disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Veteran's right shoulder tendinitis is currently rated at 20 percent, effective December 3, 2015. The claim for an increased rating prior to this date was denied.,The Veteran's Crohn’s disease is currently rated at 30 percent, effective December 3, 2015. The claim for an increased rating prior to this date was also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his claimed conditions and active duty service. The Veteran needs to be examined by a VA examiner for each of his six claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection is reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is remanded to determine if his right shoulder degenerative joint disease is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The remaining issues were remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The decision also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for a stomach disorder.

The Veteran's appeal regarding effective dates for increased ratings for hypothyroidism, right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, low back disability, and right shoulder adhesive capsulitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show the conditions were of severity warranting the requested earlier effective dates prior to January 2, 2015.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were filed on June 25, 2010, and the RO assigned the current effective dates based on VA examination findings from January 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development and examination to address his claims of service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU.