Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete records from the Veteran's period of service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination in July 2018, and a new examination is needed to assess the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board has denied service connection for tuberculosis and remanded the right shoulder disability claim. The tuberculosis claim was previously denied, but new evidence did not relate to the reason it was denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for his neck, left knee, right shoulder, and right wrist conditions.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain is characterized by painful motion and limited motion to 90 degrees beyond the side level, resulting in a denial of an increased rating above 20 percent.,The Veteran's IBS with GERD is characterized as moderate pyrosis and regurgitation, leading to a grant of a non-compensable rating which was later upgraded to 10 percent effective February 6, 2012. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 10 percent remains pending.,The Veteran's cervical strain is characterized by complaints of neck pain and limited rotation during service, with no current evidence of limitation or dysfunction. Service connection for this condition is also pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment status, including his current and past employment during vocational rehabilitation. The claim for TDIU is on appeal from a February 2009 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee, left knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, and low back disabilities as they are etiologically related to trauma sustained in active service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left shoulder, neck, and back disabilities due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's claims for left shoulder condition, hammer toe, and bilateral hallux valgus are remanded due to a change in the character of discharge from dishonorable to honorable.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 40% from October 5, 2015. The right shoulder degenerative joint disease was previously rated at 40%, but reduced to 20% effective May 16, 2016. The left shoulder degenerative joint disease has a rating of 20%. All other issues are denied.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, right knee disability, and right shoulder disability are all granted as service-connected. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is also granted as secondary to PTSD.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder condition, left wrist condition, back condition, right knee condition, skin condition, sleep disturbance, kidney condition, bladder condition, and psychiatric condition. The claims are not supported by evidence of in-service onset or a nexus to service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that the Veteran's causes of death were not related to his military service and that none of his service-connected disabilities caused or contributed substantially to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of service connection for low back disability, right shoulder DJD, left shoulder DJD, right hip DJD, and left hip DJD have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with a previous remand directive and the need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's right shoulder degenerative joint disease is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for his service-connected disabilities is granted. The extension of a 100% evaluation beyond April 1, 2018 for total left knee arthroplasty is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for another VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's left shoulder sprain is rated at 20 percent and the appeal is remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted based on additional evidence or considerations.,The Veteran's claims for acquired psychiatric disability, respiratory disability, and IBS are remanded as no VA examinations have been conducted yet. The examiner should assess whether these conditions are related to service.,The Veteran's claim for a respiratory disability due to service in Southwest Asia is remanded as no VA examination has been conducted yet. The examiner should assess whether this condition is related to service.,The Veteran's claim for IBS due to service in Southwest Asia is remanded as no VA examination has been conducted yet. The examiner should assess whether this condition is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral shoulder disabilities, including as secondary to a cervical spine and/or low back disability due to incomplete rationale in the medical opinions provided.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities, finding that they began during his active military service.