Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and joint pain as due to an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI. The Veteran's hypertension was not diagnosed, his hearing loss did not meet VA criteria, and there is no evidence of a current joint pain disability apart from what has already been service-connected.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability, specifically whether it is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder, including acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted. The cases of the right and left knee disabilities, as well as the right and left ankle disabilities, are remanded due to inadequate examinations. The case of the partial tear of the distal subscapularis of the right shoulder is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple physical conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from August 14, 2014 to April 5, 2018. The Board granted the TDIU claim based on these findings.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 20% prior to May 3, 2022 and 30% thereafter. The claim for higher ratings remains denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations to determine if there is a nexus between in-service incidents and current disabilities, including right shoulder, knee, fibromyalgia, undiagnosed pain of the right hand, and dermatitis.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder condition, finding that the evidence did not support a link to military service and instead suggested a work-related injury.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current left shoulder disability and his active duty service.

The Board has denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and remanded the issue of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected navicular bone fracture of the right wrist.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma and residuals of right shoulder dislocation. The claim for ear disorder (Meniere's disease, vertigo, and otitis media) is remanded.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including private treatment records and VA examinations. The issues of service connection for various conditions are being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, left shoulder, right shoulder, cervical spine arthritis, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities due to the benefit of doubt being afforded to the Veteran's claims.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder due to new and material evidence. The claims for both a right shoulder disorder and a left shoulder disorder as secondary to a right shoulder disorder are remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability, including neurological and limitation of motion components. The effective date for the grant of a separate rating for the left shoulder neurological disability is also under review.

The Board denied claims for service connection of various conditions and dismissed three claims as withdrawn. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for a psychiatric disorder, to include depression, prior to January 21, 2020, was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diverticulosis, rib disability, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and further examination is needed.

The Board denied service connection for a shoulder/arm disability, but granted an initial 50 percent rating for residuals of status post gynecomastia surgery.