Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that further assistance is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and to provide her with a VA examination regarding her asthma, right shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities of the left knee, cervical spine, and left shoulder due to a lack of current disability evidence. The Board found that there was no diagnosed disease or injury in these joints during the appeal period.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.,The Board also denied compensation claims under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for cervical, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, gastrointestinal condition, and skin condition other than skin cancer and/or skin lesions, including tinea cruris. The evidence of record does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or are otherwise related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder osteoarthritis and dislocation, as well as his dental trauma and nerve damage to teeth 7-10. The reasons include the need for more contemporaneous examinations of the Veteran's shoulder conditions and new VA opinions on his dental condition.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities have been granted at 40% and 30%, respectively, effective January 21, 2008. The decision is based on the limitation of motion due to pain during flare-ups.

The Board has ordered the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral shoulder acromioclavicular degeneration, and right hand disabilities to be remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, right shoulder and elbow disabilities (both secondary to the service-connected left shoulder disability), cervical spine disability, OSA, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered service connected.,Service connection was denied for all issues except for tinnitus, which was granted.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right hip replacement, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and left shoulder impingement syndrome. The effective date for the award of a 10 percent rating for residuals, fracture transverse processes L3 and L4, right is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder condition is related to his active service. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if there is a nexus between his in-service injury and current shoulder condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further adjudication of his TDIU claim, which was previously granted but with an effective date of April 1, 2013. The current decision focuses on the issue of a rating in excess of 30 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder prior to September 23, 2016.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 30 percent since November 10, 2011. The Board granted this rating and found that the Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximated limitation of motion midway between the side and shoulder level.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to service. The Veteran must be provided with a new VA examination or opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for neck, back, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions due to in-service injuries. The claim for erectile dysfunction secondary to the back condition is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Board has determined that remand is necessary to obtain adequate medical opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's right rotator cuff tear and left shoulder bursitis, which are secondary to service-connected bilateral shoulder dislocations.

The Board has remanded the cases of achilles tendonitis, right heel; right shoulder bursitis; cervicalgia; and erectile dysfunction for additional development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's OSA is granted, but his skin disability and right shoulder strain remain under review.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to November 1, 2018 was denied as he had sufficient ratings for his service-connected disabilities to meet the threshold minimum rating criteria for consideration of a TDIU on a schedular basis. However, he was not entitled to a TDIU before that date due to his employment history and education.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU since November 1, 2018 is dismissed as moot because he already had a combined 100 percent schedular rating for his service-connected disabilities and received special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, rated at 20% under DC 5202 for dislocation of the humerus, was restored to its previous level.