Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is required to determine if the Veteran's left shoulder disability was incurred during service.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder and right shoulder disabilities, as well as an initial compensable rating for paralyzed true right vocal cord prior to October 28, 2015 and greater than 10 percent thereafter for left knee disability. The Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder disability is related to his military service. The Veteran needs to provide additional medical evidence and a new VA examination will be conducted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for right shoulder strain and lumbar strain due to inadequate examination reports, requiring further development.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate and additional evidence is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder condition and Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of lumbosacral spine.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a VA examiner's opinion on whether his hearing loss was caused or aggravated by his service-connected psoriasis or left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for psoriatic arthritis is also remanded as it requires a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of such claims at a hearing. The remaining issues, including those pertaining to an acquired psychiatric disorder and TBI, are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, but denied service connection for left shoulder and right shoulder disabilities as well as left knee and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for PTSD, sleep apnea, gall bladder removal, a back disability, and a right shoulder disability are denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for gall bladder removal is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right foot ganglion cyst removal is granted.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at 20 percent prior to February 28, 2011, and at 40 percent thereafter. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating.,For her right shoulder disability, the Veteran was initially rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 5201. Her current rating is also 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for left shoulder disability, right ankle disability, and rib disability was denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s range of motion in his left shoulder did not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent, as it was consistent with midway between side and shoulder level. For his right ankle disability, the Board granted a 20 percent rating based on marked limitation in its range of motion. However, for his rib disability, the Veteran's noncompensable evaluation was maintained.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for his right shoulder degenerative joint disease with adhesive capsulitis has been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities: left axillary nerve damage, left shoulder scar, and effective date for a left shoulder scar. The remaining issues have been denied.

The Board denied service connection for low back, left knee, neck, right shoulder, and left shoulder disorders. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for a right knee disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was reopened, and he is now granted secondary service connection for a right shoulder disability due to his cervical spine disability. The rating for ocular rosacea with chronic conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and dry eye syndrome remains at 10 percent. A separate rating of 20 percent is granted for bilateral lacrimal duct disorder. Other issues are remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to new and material evidence, but the issue is remanded for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records from Panama City, Florida and providing a medical opinion on the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim was reopened due to new evidence showing shoulder dislocations during service. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if the current left shoulder condition is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches due to an in-service head injury and secondary to service-connected vascular dementia. The Veteran's joint pain conditions are denied as not related to service or a cold injury, and the scars on his left occipital area and right eyebrow are rated at 30 percent.

Service connection is granted for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease and lumbar spine spondylosis, as well as other service-connected disabilities. The effective date for the award of service connection for hemorrhoids is set at November 29, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder disorder and bilateral ankle disorder, as well as her TDIU claim. The VA examinations are required to address whether these conditions are related to her service-connected disabilities.