Shoulder Board decisions

The Board granted an effective date of April 19, 2017, for the grants of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disorder and a right knee disorder.

The appeal as to the claims of service connection for shoulder pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is dismissed, and an effective date prior to April 18, 2024, for the award of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, to include degenerative arthritis and scoliosis, is denied.

The appeal was dismissed due to a formal defect related to the Veteran's concurrent election of multiple review options for the same issues.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee strain and bilateral shoulder tendonitis, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted an increased initial rating of 70 percent for unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, denied a higher initial rating for right foot plantar fasciitis, granted service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis, denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and remanded the claim for entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder impingement syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for tonsilitis and a left shoulder disability, but denied service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), right ankle, and left ankle disabilities. The claim for a higher rating for GERD was also denied.

The Board granted disability ratings of 40 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome, 30 percent for left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, 30 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and 30 percent for right knee patellar chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, but not higher.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for cervical strain, bilateral hearing loss, right and left shoulder strains, tinnitus, and endometriosis was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Board Appeal request.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and increased ratings for a right shoulder strain, cluster headaches, and a right shoulder surgical scar. However, the Board granted an initial increased rating of 50 percent for other trauma and stress related disorder.

The Board denied service connection for avascular necrosis of the bilateral shoulders and hips, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and neurological impairments of various extremities as they were not causally related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board remands the case for additional development to obtain missing service treatment records.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder strain, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and bilateral foot degenerative arthritis and heel spur to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a disorder manifested by groin pain and a right shoulder disability, finding no current diagnosis of the claimed conditions and no evidence linking them to the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining an adequate VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected shoulder disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for left and right shoulder strains, but denied service connection for fibromyalgia. A rating of 40 percent was assigned for scoliosis effective December 16, 2016.

The appeal was dismissed as the Veteran opted into the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) review system within 60 days of a May 2023 supplemental statement of the case, withdrawing his legacy appeal.

The appeal for service connection for left ankle sprain, right knee injury, and right shoulder (claimed as clavicle fracture) was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Board Appeal request.

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for migraines and denied service connection for left elbow sprain, as well as ratings in excess of 10 percent for acute ankle sprain, and remanded claims for right thumb tenosynovitis, right shoulder repaired torn labrum, and S-shaped scoliosis.

The appeal was dismissed because the July 2024 VA Form 10182 sought to appeal a CUE motion, but the AOJ did not adjudicate the claim yet.

The Board remands the claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder strain, 10 percent for cervical spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) other than intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and 20 percent for left radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia to afford the Veteran new VA examinations.