Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, migraines, and various joint conditions are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether these conditions qualify as medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses (MUCMI).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right shoulder disabilities due to pain stemming from in-service injuries. The case requires further examination to determine if these conditions are related to her military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability. The claim will be reviewed again with additional development, including obtaining a new VA examiner's opinion.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal on the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder disability, including a strain with glenohumeral joint dislocation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions and outstanding private treatment records.

The Veteran's left arm muscle injury involving Muscle Group III is granted a maximum 30 percent rating from March 31, 2006.,Initial noncompensable ratings are assigned for the Veteran’s left shoulder impingement syndrome with arthritis and rotator cuff tear involving Muscle Groups I, II. A 10 percent rating is assigned for Muscle Group IV.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee disorder, right shoulder disorder, and kidney disorder due to new evidence received since the April 2015 decision. The Veteran's claims are now pending again.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, left hand/wrist, right hand/wrist, left elbow, and right elbow disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during service or being related to any in-service injury.

The appeal regarding right shoulder disability has been withdrawn and dismissed. Service connection for multivessel coronary artery disease (status/post coronary artery bypass grafting) is granted.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been denied.,The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss on April 16, 2018. The right shoulder strain rating has been increased to 20 percent since June 26, 2018. Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy was established on the same date.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.,Right shoulder strain has an effective date of June 26, 2018. The left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted service connection on the same date.,The Veteran's left hamstring injury residuals and lumbar strain have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.,Left knee strain has an effective date of June 26, 2018. The Veteran's right shoulder strain rating was increased to 20 percent on the same date.,The Veteran's lumbar strain and left knee strain have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.

The Board denied service connection for heart disability, hypertension, lumbar spine disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability as the evidence did not support a nexus to military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions. The issues are inextricably intertwined, so both must be addressed together.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for his service-connected conditions, finding that there was no evidence of an increase in severity within one year prior to May 31, 2011. The effective date for the increased rating from 10 percent to 30 percent for bilateral flat feet is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are remanded due to the need for additional medical records, social security administration (SSA) records, and VA examinations.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent prior to January 9, 2017 and at 20 percent thereafter. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent throughout the appeal period.,Service connection for varicocele has been granted.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA medical opinions and for further development, including obtaining additional medical records.

The Board has determined that further examination and consideration are necessary to determine the current severity of the Veteran's shoulder and knee disabilities, as well as his entitlement to earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits. The claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, low back, and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate opinions regarding secondary service connection. Additional development is needed including obtaining STRs and providing addendum opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an examination to determine if the Veteran's right shoulder condition is related to his service, specifically the reported near-fall incident in 2006.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the right knee unicondylar revision arthroplasty from February 17, 2017 to February 22, 2018. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 40 percent effective December 6, 2019. The TDIU claim has been remanded.