Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinions provided were not in substantial compliance with the prior remand directives. The case is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability but has remanded the case for further development regarding a right wrist disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder conditions, finding that there is no evidence linking his current shoulder disabilities to his active service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including labral and rotator cuff tears, has been rated at 40 percent since December 17, 2019. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms warranted this rating for the period from December 21, 2015 to December 17, 2019.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's disabilities, including cervical strain, knee limitations of extension, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder bursitis, and external hemorrhoids. The AOJ is instructed to issue a supplemental statement of the case after considering additional evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new examination and opinion from an appropriate clinician.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, left shoulder disability, coronary artery disease (CAD), tinnitus, and hearing loss, have limited him to sedentary work since October 4, 2006. The Board finds that his service-connected conditions precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education, skills, training, and work history from October 4, 2006 to January 11, 2017.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those for initial disability ratings and service connection claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and an increased rating for his right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine arthritis and right shoulder arthritis. Service connection was denied for kidney cyst and adrenal disorder, both of which are presumed to be related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 20 percent prior to April 21, 2022 and denied for a higher rating thereafter. The effective date of the increased ratings for the knees remains pending.,Issues related to left shoulder disability, left knee replacement, and left knee instability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to new evidence added to the claims file, including a December 2020 VA examination and records from Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hand, knee, lumbar spine, and right shoulder disabilities based on the Veteran's reported in-service injuries and enduring exposure to combat operations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional medical opinions regarding his neck, shoulder, knee, and hip disabilities as well as hypertension and acid reflux. The claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right shoulder disability, rated as a total shoulder arthroplasty status post rotator cuff tear, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has decided the claims for increased ratings for chronic sinusitis, back disability, and right shoulder disability. The Veteran's claim for increased rating of chronic sinusitis is denied as there is no evidence of chronic osteomyelitis or near constant sinusitis with purulent discharge. For the back and right shoulder disabilities, the Board has found that additional development is needed due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board has denied service connection for various ankle, knee, leg, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and arm disabilities on the grounds that there is no evidence of their onset in service or a relationship to any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's GERD and lumbar spine disability were granted service connection, while the right shoulder strain, eczema, and onychomycosis of both great toenails issues resulted in a rating increase or grant. The case was remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues regarding separate ratings for neuralgia and neuritis, as well as SMC based on loss of use of the left upper extremity. Additional development is needed to address these claims.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left elbow arthritis and left shoulder degenerative joint disease have been denied as the evidence does not support an increased rating under the applicable criteria.