Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities due to insufficient examination results. The claims will be reviewed again with new examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder disability is denied. The current rating of 30 percent is maintained.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart condition with hypertension and a left shoulder disorder, but denied service connection for other conditions. The heart condition is not considered to be related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for skin cancer, left shoulder disability, and left ankle disability. The Veteran's skin cancers were not related to in-service exposure or sun exposure. His left shoulder and ankle disabilities are not linked to his military service.,The Board found that the Veteran’s current left shoulder disability is not related to an in-service injury and denied service connection for it.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to insufficient rationale in previous medical opinions, as well as issues related to bilateral cataracts.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, upper respiratory disorder (sinusitis), and headache disabilities. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide a supplemental opinion regarding the upper respiratory disorder.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder conditions, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that caused current disabilities. The Veteran's claims were based on continuity of symptomatology since service, but the Board found this claim unsupported by medical evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for sleep disturbances and chronic fatigue syndrome have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, neck disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, and an increased rating for lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's shin splints and knee issues are restored to a 20% rating, while her right shoulder and left shoulder service connection claims are denied. Her major depressive disorder is granted with TDIU status.

The Board has remanded the cases due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for retrospective medical opinions regarding additional loss in range of motion during periods of flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and right shoulder disability due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking direct service connection, meaning that the conditions must be linked to his military service without relying on presumptions or secondary service connection.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder disability and acquired psychiatric disorder are denied. The claims for left hand Dupuytren's contracture and carpal tunnel syndrome have been remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right shoulder, cervical spine, and lumbar spine conditions due to insufficient evidence in the record. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with these issues.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disability, and bilateral shoulder disabilities. The claims for headaches, tonsillitis, strep throat, periodontal disease (pyorrhea), and sleep apnea are being remanded.,Service connection is not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to service or any other relevant factor.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for OSA is being remanded as there may be a link between his military service and undiagnosed illness. Additional evidence is needed, including records from 2010 when he was referred for evaluation of sleep apnea.,The Veteran's claims for kidney stones and diabetes are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus is being remanded as there may be a link between his military service and aggravation of his already elevated blood sugar levels. Additional evidence is needed, including records from 2010 when he was referred for evaluation of sleep apnea.,The Veteran's claims for left shoulder disability are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.,The Veteran's claim for back disability is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.,The Veteran's claims for knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's right shoulder disability. The issues include evaluating his post-operative residuals, dislocation of the AC joint, and entitlement to an extraschedular evaluation and TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the appeal is denied. The issues of reopening claims for internal hemorrhoids and loss of movement and strength of the left hand have been reopened.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD, is granted service connection. The right shoulder tendonitis and left shoulder condition are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for his right and left shoulder conditions have been remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The Board found that new evidence has raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims, but the cases are being returned for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and service connection for various conditions have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for left knee arthritis, but not for other claimed conditions.