Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to decide whether his left shoulder and knee disabilities are related to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck, right shoulder, and right arm disorders. The claims were previously denied due to lack of a current diagnosis, but new evidence shows that these conditions may be related to his active-duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder condition and a bilateral ankle condition, other than chronic residuals of gout. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by service.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for his left shoulder and left ankle disabilities have been denied. The current ratings of 20 percent for the left shoulder and 10 percent for the left ankle are not considered more than adequate based on the evidence provided.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee and left shoulder disability, finding that these conditions are related to an in-service motor vehicle accident during INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his right elbow, wrist, and shoulder disabilities. The issues of entitlement to a higher rating for the right elbow disability, as well as service connection for the right wrist and shoulder disabilities, are being remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, effective June 1, 2019. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left shoulder condition and neck condition is remanded due to the need for further medical guidance.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left shoulder postoperative residuals was denied as the range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Service connection for diabetes, secondary to service connected HTN, was also denied due to lack of causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder, left shoulder, cervical spine (neck), and right elbow disabilities have been denied as they are not shown to be related to his military service. The claim for chronic fatigue syndrome has also been denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder osteoarthritis, finding that symptoms have been continuous since separation from service and consistent with his in-service injury.

The Board has granted service connection for colon cancer and denied vitamin D deficiency. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities, including right hip posttraumatic osteoarthritis and right shoulder limitation of flexion, have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by moderately severe impairment of muscle group IV, is rated at 20 percent. The Board finds the current rating adequately reflects his symptoms and limitations.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for aplastic anemia and ventral hernia have been withdrawn. The appeal to reopen his claim of arthritis of the joints has been granted, but the case is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his arthritis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability throughout the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes, back condition, glaucoma, GERD, right shoulder condition, and left femur condition due to insufficient evidence on whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran is competent to report his symptoms in service.

The Board has determined that additional development is required for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including back, shoulder, elbow, knee, ankle, and groin conditions. The case is being remanded to schedule VA examinations and obtain pertinent medical records.