Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service connection claim for spinal arthritis to include as secondary to left shoulder DJD is denied. The Veteran's increased rating claims for left shoulder DJD and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis are also denied. The TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but he claims it should be rated higher due to worsening symptoms. The Board has ordered a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition has been reopened and granted. The Veteran is now in receipt of a 10 percent disability rating for chondromalacia, right knee prior to August 31, 2015, and a 30 percent disability rating from that date forward. His claim for increased ratings for sarcoidosis of the lung remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his left shoulder, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate examination reports.

The claim for service connection of a right shoulder disability has been reopened, and the case is now remanded to determine if it is related to service or his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, left knee chondromalacia patella, tension headaches, and psychiatric disability (Generalized anxiety disorder and Anxiety disorder NOS). A rating of 10 percent but no more for hypertension is also granted. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus has been withdrawn.

The Board is remanding the cases of the Veteran's bilateral shoulder and knee conditions due to incomplete service treatment records. The AOJ must attempt to locate these records, either from military or civilian sources.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right shoulder disabilities have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Initial ratings for left and right hand disabilities have also been denied.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to determine the relationship between the Veteran's left shoulder disability and his service, as well as whether it is related to his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, low back, and neck injuries due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or a link between current disabilities and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder and arm disability is related to his active service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection, but his claims for stroke, diabetes mellitus, and left shoulder dislocation are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred on August 13, 2015 at South Georgia Medical Center due to the Veteran's failure to seek immediate medical attention for his service-connected left shoulder condition and because VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims, except for the claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability which has been reopened.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder disability have been denied. The current evaluations of 30 percent and 20 percent are deemed appropriate based on the evidence provided.

The Veteran's service connection claims for chronic joint pain, bilateral ankle disabilities, elbow medial epicondylitis, shoulder degenerative arthritis, and wrist de Quervain's syndrome have all been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a qualifying chronic disability manifested by joint pain due to military service in Southwest Asia as his poly-joint pain has been attributed to diagnosed disabilities.,The Veteran was unable to establish current diagnoses for bilateral ankle disabilities, elbow medial epicondylitis, and wrist de Quervain's syndrome. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability of either ankle or wrists.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral ankle disability. The right shoulder and low back disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claim for a retrospective opinion regarding the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to May 24, 2013. The claim is also remanded due to outstanding VA Vocational Rehabilitation records that have not been considered.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disorder and whether it is related to service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.