Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for left knee pain, right wrist condition, and right shoulder pain. The Veteran's current disabilities are related to his active-duty service.,All issues on appeal have been resolved in the Veteran's favor.

The Board denied an initial increase rating for coronary spasm and left shoulder strain, finding that the evidence did not support ratings higher than the current assigned disability ratings.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right shoulder disability was dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions regarding the aggravation of the Veteran's disabilities by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities have been remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing potential in-service causation.

The Board has ordered remand for additional examinations to address the Veteran's left shoulder, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right shoulder and right hand disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during active service or are not related to any in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI was granted an initial rating of 70 percent prior to September 4, 2020. A separate 10 percent rating for TBI residuals was also granted. The Veteran's PTSD with TBI is now rated as higher than 50 percent after September 4, 2020. Other issues related to service connection were remanded.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, which reflects limitation of motion to 120 degrees in flexion and abduction. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as the evidence does not show limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot, right hip, bilateral shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, residuals of a right shoulder injury, left ankle condition, and right hip condition. The request to reopen his claim for PTSD was denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, left ankle, and left shoulder disabilities due to insufficient examination reports.,New evidence received since the May 2011 rating decision includes diagnoses of bilateral knee strain, bilateral shoulder strain, left ankle strain, arthralgia of the shoulder and knee, and hypermobility syndrome.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, and the Board found no basis to grant a higher rating.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, and the Board found no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, hip, and knee conditions due to unclear dates of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA), as well as incomplete medical records. The Veteran will need to provide clarification on his Reserve service dates and obtain any missing VA or private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and sinusitis. Service connection for left ankle disability is remanded.

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the appellant's request for withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and granted it. The effective date is fixed in accordance with the facts found, but shall not be earlier than the date of receipt of an application therefor.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various joint disabilities, including rheumatoid arthritis and its secondary effects on his knees. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development and readjudication.

The Board denied service connection for a right arm/shoulder disability, prostate condition, and right ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left and right shoulder disorders, as well as a left knee disorder and ingrown toenails have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had chronic bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome, tendonitis, bursitis, and bone spurs which are directly related to his in-service motor vehicle accident.