Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all issues related to the cervical spine, left knee, left hip, lumbar spine, right hip, left shoulder, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities. Additionally, he withdrew his claim for a TDIU prior to June 29, 2016.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relation to his in-service parachute training injury.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis has been denied.,Claims for effective dates prior to October 5, 1990 have also been denied for service connection for left ankle strain, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient development and need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hip, back, shoulder, and knee disorders.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including degenerative arthritis of the shoulders and trigeminal neuralgia, were denied. The Board found no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and her military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, neck disorder, low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus congestion (allergy syndrome), and obstructive sleep apnea were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or etiology for these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for temporary total rating due to surgical treatment and convalescence of the right knee disability was also denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability has been denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The VA is remanding the cases related to his left leg radiculopathy, right leg radiculopathy, scar associated with status-post discectomy of lumbar spine with DDD, TDIU, left knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, degenerative disc disease, and multiple fractures, have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment since August 30, 2009. The effective date for the TDIU is set at that date.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability is not related to service or manifested within one year of separation from service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 40 percent prior to July 16, 2012. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a TDIU for periods prior to September 1, 2013.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is being remanded for additional development, including an examination to assess the impact of flare-ups on his functional impairment.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining STRs for his Army Reserves service and an addendum medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and shoulder disability do not render him unemployable as the result of his service connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left rotator cuff tear, and right hip osteoarthritis. The Veteran's symptoms were first noted in service and are considered related to the injuries sustained during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and a genitourinary disability, including kidney stones, hematuria, and erectile dysfunction. The decision resolves all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has denied service connection for cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities, finding no link to active service. The right shoulder disability is remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and a bilateral knee disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions had their onset during active service.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his left shoulder condition and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder strain and chronic lumbar strain, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.,Both the left shoulder strain and chronic lumbar strain were found not to be related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder bursitis with osteoarthritis is granted. The claim for neurological signs and symptoms, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness, remains denied.