Shoulder decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for a left shoulder disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion as to whether the condition is related to service or caused by the Veteran's service-connected right knee condition.

The Board denied service connection for right hip, left hip, and left shoulder disabilities as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury, and the current disabilities were not etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was granted under the PACT Act, while his claims for skin cancer and gout were withdrawn or remanded.

The Board found that the severance of service connection for various conditions was proper due to the appellant's other than honorable discharge from active duty.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for the remaining conditions, including hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, DJD of the left shoulder, and a right foot disability to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, hypertension, and vertigo. The claims for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were also denied as not secondary to a service-connected disability. Some claims for various musculoskeletal conditions of the cervical spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, feet, and fibromyalgia are remanded for further development.

The veteran's appeal was denied as the Board Appeal request was not timely filed and good cause has not been shown to accept the late filing.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle, left knee, and right shoulder bursitis conditions to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted a disability rating of 20 percent for right ankle tendonitis (Achilles/peroneal/posterior tibial) with an effective date of March 20, 2022.

The Board remands the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board remands the service connection claims for left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus for readjudication due to an AOJ error in failing to provide notice of the Veteran's right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Board granted service connection for left arm, limitation of motion (claimed as shoulder strain) based on the in-service onset and continuity of symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tear, right elbow lateral epicondylitis, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, and right hip strain with trochanteric pain syndrome.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and treatment purposes only pursuant to Chapter 17, Title 38 U.S.C. for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to outstanding medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his left shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, low back disability, and abdominal aortic aneurysm as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or related to active military service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a right hand burn and remanded several other issues, including entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a hiatal hernia surgical repair, and claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left hand disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, and cervical spine disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability and conditions secondary to it, as there was no evidence that VA treatment caused additional disability beyond what would have occurred due to pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral shoulder conditions, and bilateral knee conditions, preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.