Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for right shoulder, low back, and left knee disabilities due to outstanding service records and post-service records. The Veteran will be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for left hand, right hand, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions due to a lack of evidence linking these disabilities to the Veteran's active duty service.,Service connection was also denied for sleep apnea as there is no evidence that it began during service or is related to any in-service injury.

The Board has determined that a medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of injury to the right arm/shoulder and left arm/shoulder, as well as his claim for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity and a 10 percent rating for cervical radiculopathy of the left upper extremity.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his left shoulder bursitis and tendonitis, as well as his left and right knee degenerative joint diseases are being remanded due to insufficient examination reports.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The Veteran's claim was not supported by medical evidence linking the disabilities to his active service.,The Board also denied service connection for a left foot disability. Again, there was no competent medical evidence showing a link between the current disability and service.

The Board found the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent, and his scars do not meet criteria for a compensable rating. The DJD of the right shoulder requires further examination to determine its severity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder and left ankle disabilities due to insufficient information regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 10 percent, and his left knee disability is rated at 20 percent. The appeal for increased ratings remains denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right shoulder and gastrointestinal disorders may be related to service, but more evidence is needed for a final decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his in-service muscle strains. The preponderance of the evidence supported the conclusion that the Veteran's current shoulder conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and a headache (migraine) disability, finding no credible evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing specific incidents in the line of duty resulting in these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder, low back, and right lower leg/knee disabilities due to the evidence being at least in equipoise regarding their onset during active service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right shoulder and right knee disorders due to insufficient evidence. Additional VA medical opinions are needed, and all relevant treatment records must be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates with respect to his evaluation for tinnitus and hearing loss have been dismissed as a matter of law. The Board has also remanded several issues related to increased evaluations and earlier effective dates for various disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left shoulder disorder and a headache disorder due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder condition.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and service-connected right and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded for further examination to determine if the cervical spine disability is secondary to his shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's increased rating for his left shoulder subluxation is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the previous remand directives have not been fully complied with and is therefore remanding the case for further action.