Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the claims for knee disorders, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, and PTSD due to a duty to assist error. The appellant's service records are unclear, and further efforts must be made to obtain them.

The Board has denied service connection for low back disability, left shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and bilateral knee conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and bilateral shoulder disabilities due to a lack of VA examinations addressing these issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and eye disabilities due to lack of evidence showing a current disability or that any such disabilities were incurred in service.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition, and the Board dismissed it.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's skin condition, back condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, right shoulder condition, and right hip condition. The conditions are deemed to have begun during and continued since his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma with obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder bursitis, tinnitus, left knee limitations, and right knee instability, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 17, 2018. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine. The Veteran contends that he injured his left shoulder while undergoing physical therapy for his service-connected DDD and received VA treatment that aggravated his condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome, right shoulder strain, and onychomycosis were denied. The lumbar spine disability was not shown to meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or incapacitating episodes. Right shoulder strain did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to limited flexion. Onychomycosis required only topical therapy.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inaccurate factual premise in a previous VA medical opinion, and new evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to several issues, including a lack of a hearing, inadequate examination, and failure to address all relevant disabilities. The Veteran's left shoulder condition is being reviewed for causation and aggravation by his service-connected right ankle and left knee conditions.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection of right shoulder condition, bilateral knee condition, left shoulder condition, and bilateral flatfeet. The case is being remanded to allow for further development including VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability and a right shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these disabilities and active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus, right shoulder condition, degenerative changes at L5-S1 with thoracolumbar dextroscoliosis, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy require further examination and evaluation to determine appropriate disability ratings.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is granted as secondary to medication for service-connected conditions. The neck and shoulder disabilities are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis was received on October 23, 2020. The effective date of the award is granted as October 23, 2020.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right shoulder strain and chronic sinusitis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable criteria.

The Board's decision is partially vacated, addressing the issues of service connection for right knee disability, right shoulder disability, and right wrist disability. These were not appealed in the June 21, 2022 VA Form 10182.

The Veteran's right knee strain is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board finds the VA examination inadequate and remands for a new evaluation.,The Veteran claims a left arm disability, but no specific diagnosis was provided in the November 2021 VA examination. Remand is required to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected thoracic spinal strain, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, right shoulder brachial plexopathy, and left shoulder strain have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation.