Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment since August 1, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right, left shoulder disorders, lumbar spine disorder, right and left hip disorders, right and left knee disorders, and right and left ankle disorders due to in-service repetitive loading of heavy loads from HEMTTs or rocket tubes. The appeals are now pending with VA for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, bilateral hip, and low back disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,Service connection was granted for an initial rating of 50 percent for anxiety disorder prior to November 4, 2020.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder condition due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology and nature of his disability. The case is being sent back for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling an examination.

The Board has decided to remand three issues: the increased rating for right shoulder degenerative joint disease, the reopening of a cervical spine disability claim secondary to right shoulder degenerative joint disease, and the TDIU claim. The reasons are that the most recent VA examination is inadequate and new opinions are needed.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right shoulder disabilities have been dismissed as he has withdrawn the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate November 2017 VA examination that failed to address functional loss experienced by the Veteran in his right shoulder during flare-ups. The examiner must provide a full description of each disability, report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating the Veteran's disability under the rating criteria, test active motion, passive motion, and pain with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing, elicit information regarding severity, frequency, and duration of any flare-ups, and estimate additional impairment due to flare-ups based on the other evidence of record and the Veteran’s statements.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, residuals of cholecystectomy (removal of gallbladder), and thyroid disability, to include Grave's disease and hypothyroidism. Service connection was denied for hypertension and psoriasis.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities are granted service connection. Service connection for GERD is denied, but the Veteran's neck disability, hands and fingers disability, and joint pain are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, right and left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, osteoarthritis of the shoulders, and peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities have been granted. The exposure to Agent Orange is presumed.

The Veteran's chronic left shoulder strain is rated at 20 percent, effective November 7, 2019. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for right obturator nerve neuropathy.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issues of service connection for bilateral knee, hip, and shoulder conditions have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing service treatment records and new examinations are needed to assess his current diagnoses and determine if they are related to active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder, finding that there is no evidence of arthritis in service or within one year after separation from active duty. The expert medical opinion concluded that the current bilateral shoulder arthritis did not manifest until many years after service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining medical opinions on the Veteran's cervical spine condition and left shoulder arthralgia.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left shoulder disorders, a right hip disorder, a left knee disorder, and a right ankle disorder as these conditions are not shown to be related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for right hip arthritis, right knee arthritis, right ankle arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, right elbow arthritis, and right wrist arthritis. The reasons include the need to obtain VA treatment records and VRE records, as well as a new VA examination to assess current right extremity joint conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from being able to work in an office setting.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).,There is no evidence of any current right shoulder disability or BPH related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder-AC separation, right knee strain (recharacterized as total knee replacement), cervical spine disability, lumbosacral strain, left elbow avulsion injury with residuals, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, GERD, malaria residuals, headaches, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for his right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome.