Shoulder decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for multiple shoulder, knee, and hip disabilities as well as increased ratings for cervical spine DDD, upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbosacral strain, and tension headaches.

The Board remands the matter for the AOJ to seek additional private treatment records from the Veteran's providers during the relevant time period.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was granted a 70 percent disability rating for the period of January 29, 2020 to February 23, 2023 and from June 7, 2023 due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. Other claims were denied.

The appeal was dismissed for the issues of service connection for left and right leg conditions, and the claims for service connection for shoulder strains were denied. A separate disability rating of 20 percent from August 7, 2013, for left knee instability was granted.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right wrist, left shoulder, left foot, and lumbar spine disorders based on their onset during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a left shoulder strain s/p rotator cuff tear, while remanding claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, aortic aneurysm, and right wrist conditions.

The Board granted service connection for asthma from August 10, 2022, based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to burn pit smoke during his deployment in Kuwait and Afghanistan.

The Board granted an increased rating of 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but remanded the claims for service connection for gastro-esophageal reflux disease, right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and essential tremors.

The Board granted ratings of 30 percent for the left and right knee disabilities, 40 percent for the right shoulder disability, and 30 percent for the left shoulder, back, migraine headache, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) disabilities as of February 22, 2022.

The veteran has withdrawn the appeals for service connection of his right shoulder and wrist conditions, and they are dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder disability as secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder tendinitis, to include degenerative arthritis, as the condition manifested within one year of separation from service and was not attributable to intercurrent causes.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including sinusitis, vertigo, and various musculoskeletal disorders, as the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or nexus to active duty.

The Board remands the service connection claim for left shoulder strain due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and an inadequate medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a combined rating of 100 percent for his service-connected disabilities from June 18, 2014, to August 23, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder also claimed as depression but denied service connection for degenerative changes back, degenerative changes neck, and right shoulder strain claimed as scapula pain.

The Board denied service connection for various claimed disabilities, including right and left knee replacements, ankle sprains, neck strain, lumbosacral strain, rotator cuff tear, shoulder dislocation, and sleep apnea, as the evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and left shoulder impingement syndrome with labral tear, including SLAP and rotator cuff tendonitis.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain with bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy and remanded the other issues for further development.

The Board granted service connection for asthma, tinnitus, and eczema with an effective date of October 3, 2019, and granted service connection for pes planus. Other claims were remanded for further development.