Shoulder decisions — 2020

The claim for service connection of a right foot condition, left shoulder condition, and right wrist condition has been reopened. Service connection is granted for the right foot condition.

The Board has denied service connection for left foot contusion and right shoulder tendonitis. The Veteran's current diagnoses of mediastinal/cutaneous emphysema and torn labrum of the right hip are remanded for further development.,Service connection is also denied for torn labrum of the right hip, as an addendum opinion is needed to determine if it arose in service or is otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's left ankle sprain is granted service connection.,Service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder dislocation injury (now diagnosed as degenerative arthritis) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, cervical spine disability, bilateral shoulder disabilities, bilateral elbow disabilities, bilateral wrist disabilities, and bilateral hip disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded both the claim for an increased rating for service-connected right shoulder disability and the TDIU claim due to the Veteran's incarceration. The claims are inextricably intertwined, so the TDIU claim must also be remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left hand 5th digit deformity has been withdrawn. The Board also remanded the cases of rating in excess of 20 percent for residual scars, left shoulder, status post-surgical repair and rating in excess of 10 percent for left shoulder labrum tear, status post-surgical repair.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and back disabilities due to missing in-service treatment records and a need for additional examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with VA examination requirements in the February 2017 report. The Veteran will need a new VA shoulder examination to determine his current right shoulder disability and its severity.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was found to have limited motion, but not to the extent that would warrant a higher rating. The Board denied an increased rating for his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to make a decision on his claims due to lack of medical opinions and missing records.

For the initial rating period from June 16, 2009 to February 24, 2016, a higher initial disability rating of 20 percent for the left shoulder disability is granted.,For the initial rating period from February 24, 2016 forward, a higher initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the left shoulder disability is denied.,For the initial rating period from June 16, 2009 to December 7, 2017, a higher initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right ankle disability is denied.,For the initial rating period from December 7, 2017 forward, a higher initial disability rating of 40 percent for the right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Hypercholesterolemia is not service-connected.,Erectile dysfunction, hypertension, headaches, neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, lumbar radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability are all remanded for further development.,The Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service. Service connection is granted.,Hypercholesterolemia is not a disability that can be awarded by VA.,Erectile dysfunction, hypertension, headaches, neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, lumbar radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability are all remanded for further development. The Veteran's service connection claims will need to be re-evaluated based on new evidence or clarification.,The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s left shoulder disability is less likely than not caused by his military service due to lack of medical records supporting a chronic condition during service, and right shoulder disability was deferred as the Veteran had not been released from his orthopedic surgeon at the time of examination. The claims are remanded for further development.,The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s left shoulder disability is less likely than not caused by his military service due to lack of medical records supporting a chronic condition during service, and right shoulder disability was deferred as the Veteran had not been released from his orthopedic surgeon at the time of examination. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death. The Board found that there is no evidence linking pancreatic or rectal cancer to military service.

The Veteran's left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis was initially rated at 20 percent prior to January 9, 2018 and then granted a 30 percent rating from that date.,The Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis was initially rated at 20 percent prior to January 22, 2020 and then granted a 30 percent rating from that date.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his military service.,Service connection was granted for coronary artery disease (CAD), but the Board found no evidence of its onset during service or a causal relationship.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his left shoulder injury with bursitis and impingement syndrome was denied, as the evidence did not support a higher rating. The claim for service connection of his left knee disability was also denied due to lack of causal relationship to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of left shoulder AC joint separation, including left shoulder myofascial pain syndrome. The condition was incurred during active duty.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, thoracolumbar spine (back), right hip, left hip, and left knee disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and asthma, as well as his increased disability ratings for left leg and left shoulder disabilities due to incomplete VA examination records and failure to comply with prior remand instructions.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's symptoms and their relation to service.