Shoulder decisions — 2021

The Veteran's rib fractures are not rated as compensable, and service connection for left shoulder and neck disabilities is denied.,Effective dates prior to December 1, 2017 for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinea pedis with onychomycosis are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder rotator cuff reconstruction, recurrent enteritis, and radiculopathy of the lower extremities, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left and right shoulder glenohumeral joint arthritis, left knee disability, left hand disability, and right elbow disability has been remanded.,Accrued benefits claims for left shoulder glenohumeral joint arthritis and right shoulder glenohumeral joint arthritis have been dismissed.

The Veteran's increased disability ratings for lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and impairment of the left shoulder muscle group III have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have had their onset in service.,There is no evidence of a current gout disability or functional impairment due to gout.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment since August 1, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right, left shoulder disorders, lumbar spine disorder, right and left hip disorders, right and left knee disorders, and right and left ankle disorders due to in-service repetitive loading of heavy loads from HEMTTs or rocket tubes. The appeals are now pending with VA for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, bilateral hip, and low back disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,Service connection was granted for an initial rating of 50 percent for anxiety disorder prior to November 4, 2020.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder condition due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology and nature of his disability. The case is being sent back for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling an examination.

The Board has decided to remand three issues: the increased rating for right shoulder degenerative joint disease, the reopening of a cervical spine disability claim secondary to right shoulder degenerative joint disease, and the TDIU claim. The reasons are that the most recent VA examination is inadequate and new opinions are needed.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right shoulder disabilities have been dismissed as he has withdrawn the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate November 2017 VA examination that failed to address functional loss experienced by the Veteran in his right shoulder during flare-ups. The examiner must provide a full description of each disability, report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating the Veteran's disability under the rating criteria, test active motion, passive motion, and pain with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing, elicit information regarding severity, frequency, and duration of any flare-ups, and estimate additional impairment due to flare-ups based on the other evidence of record and the Veteran’s statements.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, residuals of cholecystectomy (removal of gallbladder), and thyroid disability, to include Grave's disease and hypothyroidism. Service connection was denied for hypertension and psoriasis.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities are granted service connection. Service connection for GERD is denied, but the Veteran's neck disability, hands and fingers disability, and joint pain are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, right and left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, osteoarthritis of the shoulders, and peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities have been granted. The exposure to Agent Orange is presumed.

The Veteran's chronic left shoulder strain is rated at 20 percent, effective November 7, 2019. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for right obturator nerve neuropathy.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issues of service connection for bilateral knee, hip, and shoulder conditions have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing service treatment records and new examinations are needed to assess his current diagnoses and determine if they are related to active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder, finding that there is no evidence of arthritis in service or within one year after separation from active duty. The expert medical opinion concluded that the current bilateral shoulder arthritis did not manifest until many years after service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining medical opinions on the Veteran's cervical spine condition and left shoulder arthralgia.