Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for recurrent right shoulder, left shoulder, right hip, left hip, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinions showing a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The effective dates for his service connection awards for hypertension, gynecomastia, and a left shoulder burn scar were all set to September 23, 2015.

Service connection granted for right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder osteoarthritis.,Service connection denied for a left rotator cuff condition (claimed as shoulder/arm arthritis), vision loss, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for initial ratings for allergic rhinitis and left shoulder arthralgia are partially granted. The Veteran is awarded a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis prior to February 13, 2024, but his claim for a higher rating after that date is denied. His claim for the left shoulder condition remains pending due to remand requirements.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from June 1, 2011, to February 13, 2012, and from August 1, 2013, to December 21, 2016, due to his service-connected bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including right knee, left knee, right ankle, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), hepatitis disorder, and left shoulder disabilities. The decision also referred the issue of service connection for a right shoulder disability back to the AOJ.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including IBS, left shoulder rotator cuff syndrome with subdeltoid bursitis, tinnitus, right and left knee arthritis, and bilateral hearing loss, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment for the appeal period from January 19, 2016, through November 4, 2019. The Board finds that his service-connected conditions alone are sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis and excluding periods of temporary total rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right shoulder disability and a need for further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, left shoulder, and right shoulder disorders due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during active service or are related to in-service injuries.,Specifically, the VA examiners found no chronicity of the claimed right ankle instability with sinus tarsi syndrome or left shoulder degenerative arthritis and degenerative joint disease with tendinosis prior to their diagnoses.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for joint pain, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his military service. The Board concluded that any joint conditions were less likely than not due to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's injuries are believed to have occurred in service, but he was not allowed medical treatment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive period.

The Board has remanded the claims for headaches, respiratory disability (including sinusitis), right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability due to incomplete development of records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of his cervical spine, right shoulder, left hip, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The effective dates remain at September 12, 2011.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that it does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of limitation of motion to 25 degrees from side. The appeal was denied.

The Veteran's left eye conjunctival pigmentation, claimed as a left eye condition, is related to service and granted.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability, manifested by painful motion, began in service and is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spondylosis, PTSD, insomnia, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, right shoulder arthritis and impingement syndrome, left heel spur, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment since July 1, 2022. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has decided the appeal and has remanded it due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left shoulder condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to untimely submission of the VA Form 10182. The claims of chest pain and right shoulder condition are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of VA examinations. The Veteran contends that his current disabilities are related to his military service.