Shoulder decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 20 percent initial rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome and service connection for left knee strain, but denied other claims including increased ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, incomplete right bundle branch block (claimed as cardiac arrhythmia), degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with IVDS, scarring of the left inguinal area, status post varicocele surgery, and service connection for left shoulder strain and restless leg syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis and lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration, cervical degenerative arthritis, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint degeneration, right hip strain, anxiety as secondary to the Veteran's back condition, and depression as secondary to the Veteran's back condition. The claims for service connection for a left knee condition and a right knee condition were denied.

The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board granted service connection for exostosis right foot and bilateral plantar fasciitis, but denied service connection for hysterectomy, left shoulder pain, right shoulder pain, dysmenorrhea, chronic obstructive lung disease, female sexual arousal disorder, and a foot callus.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and an initial 20 percent rating for dry eye syndrome with pinguecula, while denying service connection for other psychiatric disorders, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and multiple musculoskeletal conditions. Some claims were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claim for a left upper extremity condition, claimed as a left shoulder condition, to schedule a VA examination and obtain an opinion on whether the condition is related to service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right and left shoulder disability due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in the adjudication process.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder conditions due to a duty to assist error, requiring a VA examination and etiology opinion.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain as secondary to the service-connected right shoulder osteoarthritis, denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, and remanded the claim for a low back disability as secondary to the service-connected pes planus.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder condition, left arm condition, low back condition, and left leg condition as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's request for higher-level review of the November 2014 rating decision was denied as untimely.

The Board remands the service connection claim for a left shoulder condition to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining outstanding service treatment records.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the claims for left shoulder disorder and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to missing evidence.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right hip, left hip, and left shoulder, as well as PTSD. The claim for a higher rating for the right knee scar was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right shoulder and left thigh disabilities, finding that the evidence of record did not support a higher rating.

The character of the appellant's uncharacterized discharge is not a bar to the receipt of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits; to this extent only, the claim is granted.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's low back disability and a 10 percent rating for bilateral shin splints, while denying increased ratings for other disabilities.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the ratings of generalized anxiety disorder, right shoulder strain with AC joint osteoarthritis and AC joint separation, clavicle and/or scapula impairment, and tinnitus.

The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion as the previous one was found inadequate.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including PTSD, IBS, cardiac arrhythmia, CFS, chronic headaches, chronic sinusitis, dyspnea, and fibromyalgia. The claim for bilateral pes planus was remanded.