Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for neck pain, back pain, bilateral shoulder pain, rib pain, bilateral hand/finger pain, and bilateral hip/knee pain all claimed as a result of decompression syndrome due to saturation diving in service.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 30 percent rating for his left shoulder disability and has remanded several issues including entitlement to a higher rating, service connection for foot disabilities, a compensable rating for a scar, and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 17, 2016, for a 20 percent disability rating for left clavicle/shoulder disorder is remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of all relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder disability did not meet criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent, while his low back disorder, left knee strain, left wrist carpal tunnel, and left hip disability were all denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased ratings for various knee, shoulder, and wrist conditions due to insufficient evidence or procedural issues.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip condition, left hip condition, and left shoulder condition. The Veteran's conditions were not found to be related to his military service.,The VA examiner provided an opinion that the Veteran's diagnosed conditions were less likely than not caused by or related to his in-service exposure.

The Board has dismissed all the claims on appeal, including service connection for various disabilities and increased ratings.

The Veteran's right and left knee conditions have been granted separate ratings of 10 percent each for painful motion, effective October 24, 2011. The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder condition and sleep disorder.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed right shoulder condition or sleep disorder due to lack of current disability evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected disabilities have been remanded due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral shoulder condition, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his in-service duties and his current condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is not related to his active service, as there were no symptoms or diagnoses of a right shoulder problem during service and no evidence of continuity of symptomatology post-service. The arthritis did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right eye disorder, a low back disorder, left ankle disorders, right ankle disorders, right shoulder disorders, right hand disorders, and headache disorders. The reasons given were that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service aggravation or incurrence for most conditions, and there was no current diagnosis for some conditions.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right and left shoulder disabilities, right wrist, left wrist, right ankle, left ankle, hernia, joint pain, and prostate cancer. The Veteran's prostate cancer was not found to be service-connected.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are granted a 30 percent rating. Service connection for cardiovascular disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, lumbar spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and chin disorder is denied.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability and sleep apnea are not service connected as they were not shown to be related to his active duty. The bilateral knee disabilities and heart disability (right bundle branch block and AV nodal conduction defect) are also not service connected, with the exception of hypertension which is being remanded for further review.,The Veteran's sleep apnea was not shown to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected plantar fasciitis. The bilateral knee disabilities were not found to be related to his service-connected plantar fasciitis and pes planus. The heart disability (right bundle branch block and AV nodal conduction defect) is being remanded for further review, as are the hypertension issues.,The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities were not shown to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected plantar fasciitis with pes planus. The heart disability was found to have a congenital origin but no superimposed disease or injury during service. Hypertension is being remanded for further review as it may be related to the Veteran's pre-service periods of active duty.,The Veteran's heart disability (right bundle branch block and AV nodal conduction defect) was found not to have been aggravated by his service from June 2004 to September 2004. The hypertension is being remanded for further review as it may be related to the Veteran's pre-service periods of active duty.,The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination, and the Veteran's representative requested that the development be completed if the claim could not be granted based on current evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic jock itch is denied as there is no evidence of a disease or injury during service and the condition has not been linked to any in-service event.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction, left foot disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions on etiology. Service connection for left shoulder disorder is also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded several claims for service connection, including those for a left shoulder disability, a disability of the thoracolumbar spine, TBI, and left testicular calcification. The Veteran's history of injuries in service is considered, but further examination is needed to address these claims.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder tendonitis with paresthesia, finding that it was incurred during a period of active duty in the Army Reserves.