Shoulder decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including GERD, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disability, and multiple musculoskeletal and other conditions, as there was no evidence of a current disability related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain due to the service-connected right shoulder degenerative arthritis and a 10 percent disability rating for narcolepsy, while denying increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions and an initial rating in excess of the assigned ratings for PTSD with moderate alcohol use disorder, left shoulder strain with rotator cuff strain, and right shoulder strain with rotator cuff strain.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and remanded the claims for bilateral ankle arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, erectile dysfunction, degenerative disc disease, cervical, bilateral plantar fasciitis with arthritis and heel spurs, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings, as well as service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left shoulder, left knee, and neck disabilities due to a need for VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a traumatic brain injury and a headache condition, finding no evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrences. The right shoulder disability claim was remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, neck, and left knee and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on evidence that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date, as the maximum schedular rating of 100 percent for PTSD with persistent depressive disorder and traumatic brain injury has been in effect since April 19, 2019.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's cervical spine, shoulder, and foot disabilities based on the evidence of record.

The Board granted service connection for multiple degenerative joint diseases of the right and left wrist, knee, shoulder, elbow, and hip, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disability.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and allergic rhinitis, assigned a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis, and denied service connection for the other conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent, but no higher, on and after November 19, 2023.

The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome and cervical strain, as the evidence supported a 20 percent rating based on the Veteran's symptoms and range of motion findings.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine and a separate 10 percent rating from March 21, 2016 to October 20, 2024 for right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with the service-connected lumbosacral spine condition. The claim for an increased rating for the right shoulder acromioclavicular separation was denied.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, low back, left and right knee, as well as left and right foot disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.

The appeals for service connection for a neck condition and shoulder disorder were withdrawn by the Veteran, thus they are dismissed. The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for costochondritis is remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for further evidentiary development and to obtain additional medical opinions.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected left knee disability was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Board granted service connection for a right and left shoulder disability, finding that the current disabilities are related to an in-service injury involving ruptured bursae.