Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders due to inadequate etiology opinions provided by VA examiners. The claims are being returned for additional examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, back disability, radiculopathy of upper and lower extremities, bilateral shoulder, knee, hip disabilities, and migraines due to insufficient evidence on whether these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the service-connected disabilities granted in his December 2015 rating decision. The Board finds that a remand is necessary to verify the dates of active-duty service prior to September 23, 2014.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right hip disorder, dizziness, right shoulder disorder, and groin pain due to lack of examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disorder, including considering whether it is related to service or any intercurrent injury.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 10 percent for residuals of myomectomy for uterine fibroids is granted. The claims for service connection for left breast pain and right shoulder pain are denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability resulted in arm motion limited to at shoulder level from September 1, 2016 to September 19, 2018. From January 1, 2019 to September 1, 2020, the Veteran demonstrated right shoulder flexion limited to 45 degrees, which meets the criteria for a 30 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to unresolved issues regarding his character of service, which must be addressed before considering the merits of his service connection claims.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back disability, left wrist disability, neck disability, and left shoulder disability. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions is not supported by evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to September 30, 2020. The case is remanded for consideration of extraschedular TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including OSA, a left hand condition, an acquired psychiatric disability, and right and left shoulder conditions. The issues related to these conditions are no longer before the Board.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under current regulations.,For his left shoulder arthritis prior to December 5, 2013, a 30 percent rating has been granted.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 40 percent, effective June 1, 2021.,The Veteran's right shoulder cuff tendinitis with rotator cuff tear and AC separation is currently rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for bilateral inguinal hernia repair was dismissed as the Veteran explicitly requested withdrawal.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus was also dismissed as the Veteran and his representative withdrew the appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for cervical spine condition, right knee condition, left wrist condition, right shoulder condition, and left shoulder condition. The Veteran's other conditions have been rated based on their current severity.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent disability rating for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) was denied. The Board found that the increase in MDD did not occur within one year of the July 25, 2016, claim.,Additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral shoulder and knee conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various shoulder, knee, sinus, and back conditions due to a lack of VA examinations or etiology opinions.

Service connection is granted for urinary incontinence as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.,Service connection is granted for chronic fatigue syndrome as secondary to service-connected COPD with obstructive sleep apnea.,The Veteran's pleuritic chest pain claim remains pending and requires further examination and opinion.,The heart condition claim, including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease, is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the issues. A new opinion is needed regarding whether the heart condition is directly related to service.,Gastrointestinal disorder (including gastric ulcers and gastroenteritis but excluding IBS and GERD) claim remains pending and requires further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for right shoulder disability due to insufficient development and reliance on a lack of documentation during service. Further examination is required.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.