Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for service connection for back pain is granted, but the claim for service connection for left shoulder condition is denied.

The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for major depressive disorder but denied service connection for a left shoulder condition.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a bilateral knee condition, left shoulder condition, and neck condition for further development, including scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's reported in-service injuries.

Service connection is granted for rib disability (costochondritis), neck disability with pain and limitation of motion, cubital tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, bilateral elbow and wrist disabilities, left hip disability secondary to service-connected inguinal hernia, and bilateral ankle disabilities.,An initial 20 percent rating is granted for costochondritis, a separate 20 percent rating is granted for a left knee disability with recurrent swelling, and ratings in excess of 20 percent are denied for shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The claims of increased disability ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis, bursitis, and scapula dyskinesis, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD), and degenerative disc disease are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of examination or medical opinion regarding in-service injury and related disability.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability and RUE neuropathy have been granted service connection, effective May 12, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as right and left hand disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions provided prior to the decision on appeal.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition is rated at a 30 percent rating, but not higher, throughout the appeal period. The evidence does not support a higher rating as it did not show limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder condition, finding that there was no nexus between his current disability and his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for a right shoulder disability due to the lack of evidence showing a current disability.,An initial compensable rating (20%) is granted for bilateral dry eye syndrome, as it does not result in visual impairment or functional impairment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for lumbosacral strain, right shoulder disorder, and right wrist disorder before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is granted, with an evaluation of 10 percent. The claim for a compensable evaluation for left shoulder surgical scars is denied.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and right shoulder strain are granted service connection, while the right shoulder strain issue is remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including failure to consider relevant medical evidence and VA examinations.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition, which is service-connected and rated at 20 percent under the old criteria prior to February 7, 2021, has not met the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion. The current range of motion does not warrant an increased rating as it only reaches 120 degrees in flexion and abduction.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, prior to November 17, 2023, has been rated at 20 percent and is denied a higher rating.,Service connection for left shoulder strain (claimed as loss of use of left shoulder) is remanded due to duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claims for headaches, sleep apnea as secondary to headaches, and hyperhidrosis have been denied due to lack of evidence supporting a current disability or relationship to service.,The Veteran's cervical strain claim has been remanded due to the inadequate opinion provided by the VA examiner regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is remanded as the VA mental health examination was inadequate and there are additional service-connected disabilities that have not been considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent under the applicable diagnostic codes, as his range of motion is consistently at or above 65 degrees flexion and abduction.