Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's tension headaches have been granted an initial increased rating of 50 percent, effective December 13, 2023.,Service connection for right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis has been established. The Veteran is also service-connected for hepatic steatosis secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis on a presumptive basis due to exposure in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, specifically in Qatar. However, it denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and denied entitlement to a compensable rating for a right little finger condition.,The Veteran's appeal was remanded for further action regarding his claims for back, neck, left shoulder, right shoulder, hemorrhoids, and stomach conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and a right shoulder sprain (claimed as a right shoulder disability) due to insufficient evidence showing an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran reported injuries during active duty, but his statements were deemed not credible by the Board.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions and a need for an addendum opinion. The Veteran's MOS duties as a heavy equipment operator are also considered in this decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left shoulder tendinosis with instability status post Bankart repair and revision, rotator cuff tendonitis, adhesive capsulitis, glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis was denied as the evidence did not show any impairment of motion that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal and neurological disorders due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an injury sustained during basic training in service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, migraines, right shoulder disability, neck strain, and bilateral wrist disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions and other procedural errors.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record. The current range of motion and symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder and cervical spine disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions provided in March 2024. The claims are being returned for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to clarify the Veteran's diagnoses and determine if his disabilities are related to service. The appeal will be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Erectile Dysfunction is caused by his service-connected Right Shoulder Disability and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The claims of increased ratings for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, external hemorrhoids, and entitlement to TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to deficiencies in the VA medical opinions obtained during the review process. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical opinions addressing the severity of the appellant's disabilities, including those related to Poland's syndrome, right shoulder strain, foot disabilities, hand disabilities, and back disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for right and left shoulder, elbow, and knee pain as due to an undiagnosed illness or other qualifying chronic disability pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1117, and also granted service connection for a headache (tension) secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date were denied. The left shoulder strain was granted service connection with a 20% rating, effective August 16, 2022. The right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis claim resulted in a denial of any increase beyond the current 20% rating.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151 for both a back disability and a right shoulder disability, finding that the additional disabilities were not caused by VA care.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left shoulder disability is denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain, impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis are found to be service-connected. The lumbar spine disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis prior to the filing of the claim. Other conditions such as painful scars, hand disorders, elbow disorders, knee disorders, traumatic brain injury, vertigo, cervical spine disorder, wrist disorders, arm disorders, hip disorders, shin disorders, ankle disorders, and foot disorders are also denied.