Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his current back, neck, shoulder, arm, leg, and head disorders. The VA must provide additional examinations or opinions as requested.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the condition had its onset during service. Service connection was denied for bursitis of the shoulders.

The Veteran's left shoulder degenerative arthritis is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of his right wrist and right shoulder, umbilical hernia, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and tinnitus. The effective dates for these conditions are set to February 3, 2014.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder disability was granted, with the benefit being limited to the period prior to November 13, 2011.,For the period beginning on November 13, 2011, the Veteran is entitled to a 50 percent rating for his left shoulder disability.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, and spina bifida occulta.,There is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hips, left shoulder arthritis, right knee arthritis, and left knee arthritis have been granted. The claim for a higher rating for right shoulder arthritis has been remanded.

The Veteran's claims file is missing important service treatment records, and the Board is remanded to attempt to locate these documents before deciding her service connection claim for a left shoulder disability and TDIU.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the Veteran not having hearing loss for VA purposes. The claims for service connection of other conditions are remanded as there is insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for shell fragment wounds to the shoulders and neck are remanded due to inadequate examinations in prior remands.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings are being remanded due to the failure of VA to contact him at his new address in Georgia. The examinations scheduled for June 2018 have not been conducted, and a copy of the Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was sent to two prior addresses in South Carolina.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a right shoulder disorder has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in May 2018.,Service connection for a right hand disorder claimed as secondary to service-connected right index finger status post laceration is denied. The available medical evidence does not demonstrate that the Veteran has, or at any pertinent point during the current appeal period has had, a diagnosis of a right hand disorder.,The claim of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for left knee patellofemoral syndrome is remanded due to missing VA examination reports from May 2017.,The claim of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for migraine headaches is remanded due to missing VA examination reports from May 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right shoulder disorder is related to his service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disability, including arthritis. An addendum medical opinion is needed to determine if the disability is related to an in-service automobile accident or service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder rotator cuff tear and chronic sinusitis, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.,Both conditions had onset during service, with current diagnoses supported by medical records.

The Veteran's cervical spine, right elbow, left shoulder, right shoulder, left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities are all granted as service connected.,The Veteran's tinnitus is also granted as service connected.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left shoulder disabilities have not been service-connected.,Service connection for the spine, knee, hip, and depression conditions has also not been established. The effective dates of these determinations are being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for prostate cancer has been dismissed.,The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder disability have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made. The appeals for right upper extremity neurologic disorder, left upper extremity neurologic disorder, and left shoulder impingement syndrome are remanded.