Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability. The claims for left ankle, left knee, recurrent chest pain, bilateral shoulder, neck, and bilateral hip disabilities are denied as there is no evidence showing a current disability or that any such disabilities are related to service. Service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinus bradycardia, stomach disability, facial cellulitis, scalp dermatitis, headache, and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy is also denied.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to service connection and TDIU due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's right mid-clavicle condition is rated at 20 percent disabling, and his tinnitus service connection has an effective date of January 5, 2016. The increased rating claim for the right mid-clavicle condition was granted, while the earlier effective date claim for tinnitus was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to a lack of evidence regarding his exposure to ionizing radiation and missing service treatment records. The Veteran is also required to undergo medical examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for various shoulder and elbow disabilities and a higher rating for duodenal ulcer. The appeals are pending further review.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need for updated VA examinations and consideration of recent evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder arthritis and denied service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus. Service connection was granted for the left shoulder arthritis based on a current diagnosis related to an in-service injury, while service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus were not granted due to lack of evidence of exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's deep and nonlinear scar of the posterior right shoulder is not compensable.,The Veteran's superficial and nonlinear scar of the posterior right shoulder does not meet a 10 percent evaluation.,The Veteran's painful scar of the posterior right shoulder does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.,PTSD with residuals of TBI has not met criteria for a 70 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is denied as the condition did not have onset during active service and was not otherwise caused by service, to include his service-connected depressive disorder medication. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the right shoulder disability and service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and development regarding his upper back disability.,His left shoulder arthritis continues to be denied a rating in excess of 20 percent, but he receives a separate 20 percent rating for recurrent dislocation of the scapulohumeral joint.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD with anxiety and depression, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral syndrome is remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and ratings for various disabilities, and has remanded issues related to left shoulder, low back, left ankle, right ankle, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and for burial benefits due to inextricably intertwined issues. The appellant must be determined as a proper substitute claimant, if applicable, before any further action is taken.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, a right hip disability, a left hip disability, and sleep apnea.,The Veteran's claims were remanded for additional development regarding his left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and evaluation of his service-connected right hand disability, as well as additional claims related to migraine headaches, eye disorder, cervical spine disorder, left upper extremity disorder, jaw pain/facial spasms, skin disorder, and heart disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to link his pain to active duty or service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right shoulder disability, left wrist disability, and left elbow disability. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were not.

The Veteran's initial request for a higher rating for his right shoulder injury was denied. The Veteran's residuals of a right inguinal hernia repair were granted a 10% disability rating, effective from the date of the appeal (prior to June 23, 2017). For the period after June 23, 2017, his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and a rating increase are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.,Specifically, the Veteran's bilateral shoulder and wrist disabilities, heart disability, severe headache disability, PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder are being reviewed.