Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder, knee, and elbow conditions due to inadequate medical opinions based on a lack of in-service diagnoses.

The Veteran's cervical spine disc degeneration is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to service.,The Veteran's hernia (specifically umbilical hernia and inguinal regions) is denied due to lack of chronicity of care during service.,The Veteran's left knee strain (patellofemoral pain syndrome and chronic sprain) is remanded as there are conflicting opinions regarding its onset in service.,The Veteran's left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain is remanded as the VA examiner found no evidence of chronicity of care during service.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder are all remanded due to lack of medical records documenting ongoing treatment or diagnosis in service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board does not find evidence to support a higher rating.,The Veteran's right knee strain is currently rated at 10 percent, with no indication of a need for a higher rating based on the provided information.,The Veteran's right shoulder strain is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder, knee, and foot conditions are found to have started during service and continue to present. Service connection is granted for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left shoulder degenerative joint disease, as well as service connection for tinnitus, were denied. The effective dates for these decisions are July 20, 2016.,It was not factually ascertainable that the Veteran's shoulder conditions had increased in severity within a year prior to July 20, 2016.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requests an updated VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability.

Your right shoulder impingement was previously denied, but a new rating decision granted service connection for it in February 2020. The issue is dismissed as moot because the grant of service connection has already occurred.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran was in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, but did not find exceptional or unusual symptoms warranting an extraschedular rating.

The Board denied a compensable rating for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, tear, dislocation, impingement syndrome, and strain with osteoarthritis from August 1, 2020. It granted an increased rating of 30 percent for right shoulder strain with osteoarthritis from May 18, 2020.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is proximately due to his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision.,Service connection for sleep apnea is granted and rated at 100 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis with impingement and rotator cuff tendonitis, finding that these conditions began in service due to overuse. The Veteran's statements and the VA examination findings support this determination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for Factor V Leiden disorder and left shoulder disorder due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is required to provide a new VA examination and medical opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service, including any in-service exposure.

The Veteran withdrew his claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder surgical scars, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for left shoulder, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the current ratings of 20% are appropriate based on the evidence showing no limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side in the left shoulder, and no significant impairment in range of motion or function in the lumbar spine and bilateral knees.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and medical opinion, which did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his military duties as an electrical systems craftsman.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to provide an examination and medical opinion, as there is insufficient information on which to decide the claim of service connection for a left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was denied as there is no current diagnosis of a headache disorder.,Service connection for osteoarthritis of the left glenohumeral joint (left shoulder arthritis) was also denied because the pre-existing condition at enlistment did not worsen during service and there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, left hip disability, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder disability. The Board has dismissed these claims.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder AC joint degeneration and right upper extremity moderate humeral ulnar osteoarthritis as the evidence did not show these conditions began during service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.