Shoulder decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, right shoulder strain with rotator cuff tear and tendinopathy, chronic right wrist strain, left knee pain and swelling, duodenal ulcer, GERD, and colon polyp with colitis. The reduction of the bronchial asthma rating from 30% to 10% was found invalid, and a separate 10% rating for allergic rhinitis was granted.

The Board denied service connection for a throat disorder other than allergic rhinitis and GERD, and remanded the claims for respiratory, left shoulder, right foot, and right hip disorders due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board denied increased ratings for multiple service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder impingement syndrome, lumbosacral strain, left and right ankle sprains with degenerative arthritis, left and right knee retropatellar pain syndromes with degenerative arthritis, and pseudofolliculitis barbae with acne keloidalis nuchae.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee condition as secondary to the Veteran's right knee condition, but denied service connection for bilateral muscle spasms, lumbosacral strain (claimed as low back condition), mouth ulcers (also claimed as mouth condition), hypertension, right ear hearing loss, and left shoulder condition, to include a dislocated shoulder.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and special monthly compensation based on the loss of use of a creative organ, as these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The appeal regarding service connection for PTSD was dismissed, while the claims for a right shoulder disability and tinnitus were granted. Other claims for hearing loss, asthma, hip disability, COPD, eye disability, stomach disability, and left ankle disability were denied or remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding no evidence of a nexus between the in-service injury and the current disability.

The Board denied service connection for the lower back disability as there was no evidence of a chronic disease shown in service or subsequent manifestations of the same chronic disease, and no medical link between the current diagnosis of lumbar strain and military service.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder degenerative arthritis and denied it for Meniere's syndrome.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder snapping scapula syndrome as it was not incurred in or caused by the Veteran's active military service and is not secondary to his service-connected left hand reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to hypertension and remanded the claims for low back disability and right shoulder disability including arthritis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his left shoulder and elbow disabilities, as he did not continuously pursue these issues within one year of the initial denials.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of August 9, 2018, for a grant of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy with a 20 percent disability rating. The Board also granted increased ratings of 70 percent and 20 percent from March 17, 2017 to June 2, 2021, and from March 17, 2017, respectively, for the service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder and anxious features, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was granted a 40 percent rating from March 30, 2011, due to limitation of motion.

The Board remands the matter for a new VA opinion to address whether the Veteran's right shoulder disability is secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a right arm condition, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder disability as they are not shown to be related to the Veteran's service or secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for a right knee disability, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability to ensure adequate VA examinations are conducted that address the full record, including recent x-rays and lay evidence of symptoms.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right shoulder condition and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for instability of the left knee to obtain additional medical evidence.

The appeal for service connection for a left shoulder disability is dismissed due to a duplicate stream issue.

The appeal seeking entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right shoulder strain is denied.