Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee. The claims for increased ratings for Achilles' tendonitis and TDIU prior to October 5, 2011 are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity as due to service-connected bilateral sacroiliitis of the lumbar spine and denied a higher rating for bilateral sacroiliitis of the lumbar spine. The claims for degenerative arthritis of the bilateral shoulders and neck are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to his failure to attend scheduled VA examinations. Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but further evidence is needed for the remaining issues.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis is denied. The Board has found that the current 20 percent rating adequately reflects the severity of the disability, and thus no greater rating is warranted under the applicable criteria. Additionally, the issue of service connection for fibromyalgia secondary to the service-connected right shoulder condition is remanded due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's current right shoulder disability and its relationship to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right elbow joint pain, as well as left and right wrist joint pain (claimed as arm joint pain) are granted on a presumptive basis due to his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.,Service connection is also granted for left shoulder joint pain.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's appeal for service connection for various disabilities, including right ear disability, chronic headache, left shoulder disability, and allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee, hip, shoulder, and neck disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that his current diagnoses did not manifest during service and were not otherwise etiologically related to his active service or to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left knee, left shoulder, and left foot disorders due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of or pain resulting in functional loss for any of his claimed conditions. However, the Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's left shoulder disorder developed as a result of an injury during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, shoulder, and knee disorders are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current conditions and military service. He is to be afforded new VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for an auditory processing disorder and remanded the right shoulder disorder issue.

The Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy was rated at 40 percent disabling from October 10, 2018. The combined rating of his service-connected disabilities is currently 90 percent since September 11, 2019, which meets the criteria for TDIU. However, the Board has remanded the issue due to inadequate discussion in the previous decision.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on statutory housebound status was denied as he did not meet the requirements of having a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent and additional disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more, which would qualify him for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's left shoulder tendonitis has not resulted in limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side, even considering pain and other functional limitations. Therefore, an initial rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.

The Veteran's initial rating requests were denied in full. For his left shoulder tendinosis, the Veteran received no higher rating than the minimum compensable rating of 10%. For his right knee disability, he received a 10% rating for extension limitation as of March 18, 2022, but not for instability prior to that date or flexion limitation.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed as the benefit sought on appeal has been fully granted.,Service connection for a tooth disorder secondary to GERD is denied. The evidence does not support a finding that the condition began during service or is related to an in-service injury.

The Board has decided that a disability rating greater than 50 percent for other specified trauma and stress-related disorder is denied, service connection for arthritis of the bilateral knees, shoulders, hands, hips, elbows, and ankles is granted, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The issue of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder has been remanded.