Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for chronic sinusitis with headaches, reactive airway disease, right foot hallux rigidus, right foot arthritis, bilateral hand degenerative arthritis, and bilateral shoulder tendonitis and arthritis as these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service.,The Board also denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, concluding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under section 1318 were also not met.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bowel disability, neck disability, spinal curvature disability, shoulder disability, head tremors, and acquired psychiatric disability, all claimed as due to Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water exposure. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any outstanding medical records and provide notice with an opportunity to respond.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted based on current severity.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right ankle disability and service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and left shoulder disorder. The Board found no evidence of aggravation by service for his preexisting knee and shoulder conditions.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left shoulder disability has been granted in full, and the appeal is dismissed. The issue of TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, which includes AC joint osteoarthritis and supraspinatus tendinopathy, results in painful motion. The Board denied a higher rating as the evidence does not support a finding of limitation of motion at a level warranting a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is at least as likely as not caused by an in-service injury or aggravated by her service-connected spine disabilities.

The Board has identified several issues on appeal and has determined that additional evidence should be considered by the AOJ before making a final decision.

The Board has granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and dismissed the appeal of service connection for toxic chemical exposure. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The evidence does not support the Veteran's claims of a bilateral foot, ankle, lower extremity radiculopathy, back, shoulder, or left knee condition as being related to service.,There is no current disability found for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability due to lack of evidence of current disability and failure to report for a VA examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the interscalene block procedure caused additional disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease related to the left shoulder, PTSD, or TBI.,For PTSD, the Board determined that there was no occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas prior to May 10, 2019.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and clarification of the Veteran's claims, particularly regarding his skin conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of a September 1996 VA spinal surgery was denied because the evidence did not show additional disability resulting from carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed low back condition, cervical spine condition, right knee condition, left shoulder condition, bilateral ankle conditions, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Board also found that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left knee disability or sleep apnea, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.,For the right hip, left hip, right wrist, left wrist, and left shoulder disabilities, the Board has found insufficient evidence to determine their etiology and has therefore remanded these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA medical opinions and a need for further examination.