Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of left and right shoulder disabilities have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied service connection for right wrist and left shoulder disorders, finding the evidence did not support a current diagnosis or causal relationship to active service.,Service connection was granted for plantar fasciitis of the right foot, but with a limitation on its rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for muscle pain, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability due to insufficient medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it was not adjudicated in the previous rating decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for right shoulder rotator cuff impingement, left hand radicular nerve impairment, and left anterior shoulder surgical scar due to the need for further development through VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, an effective date prior to February 11, 2014 for the grant of a noncompensable rating for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and service connection for hypertension (high blood pressure) have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder has also been withdrawn. The Board is remanding his claim for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the medical evidence regarding the Veteran's right upper extremity disorders and their relationship to service. The issues include determining if a pre-existing right shoulder labral tear clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service, and whether any current right upper extremity disorders are related to military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis is granted as service connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to hypertension, hemorrhoids, sleep impairment, a swollen artery in the stomach, neck disability, right shoulder disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability need further examination and evaluation. The VA will obtain all relevant records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's private treatment records have not been obtained, and the RO must make additional efforts to obtain these records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, ankle, shoulder, and back disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries.

The Veteran's left shoulder impingement syndrome has been rated at 20 percent since July 2016. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating due to lack of limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side, and denied the claim for an increased rating.

The Veteran's right shoulder degenerative arthritis status post subluxation fixation surgery is rated at 40 percent from August 1, 2009 to March 2, 2021 (excluding the temporary 100 percent rating from September 29, 2015 to November 1, 2015).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records, specifically a discharge Report of Medical History. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for his service-connected shoulder conditions and fibula fracture were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current level of functional impairment.

The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder condition is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for COPD has not been met. The Veteran's current COPD does not appear to be related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and left shoulder are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations did not comply with remand directives and thus the claims for service connection are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected stiff-person syndrome and related conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU prior to November 9, 2020. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating for SPS is remanded due to possible worsening of the condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed left shoulder strain and impingement syndrome, cervical strain with myositis, lumbar strain with myositis, bilateral iliopsoas tendinitis of the hips, bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome of the knees, right ankle tendinitis, chronic left ankle sprain, and bilateral lateral epicondylitis of the elbows.

The Veteran's right knee, left shoulder, neck, and lumbar spine disabilities were denied service connection as they are not shown to be related to his military service.