Shoulder decisions — 2025

The appeal of the proposed disability rating reductions for left shoulder scapulohumeral joint impairment, PTSD and TBI, and migraine headaches was dismissed because the RO's proposed actions were not final decisions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, as well as left and right knee strain and patellofemoral pain syndrome with medial tibial stress syndrome, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability related to active service or any incident of service.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, a lumbar spine disability manifested by low back pain, and left knee osteoarthritis.

The appeal of the proposed decrease in rating for degenerative arthritis of the cervical strain is dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for a bilateral foot disability, diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, and a right shoulder disability, diagnosed as right shoulder strain. The claims for left knee, right knee, and lipoma were denied.

The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and remanded the claims for service connection for a neck strain, esophageal cancer, and headaches.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities due to pre-decisional errors in the duty to assist.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, chronic cough syndrome, left and right ankle disabilities, right shoulder disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, earlier effective dates for PTSD and non-painful right index finger scar, and a higher rating for painful right index finger scar. However, the Veteran was granted an initial 50 percent rating for service-connected PTSD.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder rotator cuff tears due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's complete service treatment records.

The Board remands the matter for an adequate VA examination to assess the nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right shoulder condition, but granted a 10 percent disability rating for left varicocele with epididymo-orchitis from January 1, 2014 onward.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep disorders, right foot disability, migraine, erectile dysfunction, and right elbow, shoulder, and knee disabilities.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for a right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, eosinophilic esophagitis, right hand tremors, and left hand tremors due to an impermissible concurrent election.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a compensable initial rating for scars left shoulder as the evidence did not support that the scars were unstable or painful, and their total area was less than 929 sq. cm.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and denied increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity and a left shoulder disability. The claims for back pain were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of various body parts due to in-service exposure to hazardous materials, as an addendum opinion is needed.

The Board remands the service-connection claim for a right shoulder disability, diagnosed as right shoulder separation of the acromioclavicular, to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Board granted service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability and denied a compensable evaluation for a right ear hearing loss disability. The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder conditions were remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and increased the rating for obstructive sleep apnea to 50 percent, while denying service connection for hypertension and other claims.