Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied all increased rating claims for the Veteran's service-connected conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation for any of the disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative.

The Veteran's appeal is mixed, with some issues granted and others not. The decision addresses increased disability ratings for various knee disabilities, service connection claims, and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinion is inadequate for adjudication purposes and requires further examination to determine if the Veteran’s bilateral shoulder disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for pre-existing right shoulder injury, in-service right foot fracture, and right ear hearing loss have been denied.,Specifically, the Board found no evidence of aggravation of the pre-existing right shoulder injury during service and concluded that the arthritis did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The right foot injury was also deemed not to be aggravated by service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and left shoulder disability as new and material evidence was not received to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disability, which is related to his military service. The Veteran needs updated VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from a qualified medical examiner.

The Veteran's right shoulder, bilateral upper extremity nerve, and traumatic brain injury disabilities are granted service connection. The cervical spine disability is denied.

The Veteran's left shoulder and bilateral knee disabilities are denied service connection as they are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected right clavicle fracture. A 30% disability rating for a fracture of the right malleolus with degenerative joint disease is granted.

The Board denied service connection and compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome, finding that the current disability was not related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the inextricability of his acquired psychiatric disorder with other conditions. The VA will need to determine if these secondary conditions are related to his service-connected condition or another diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's left knee and left shoulder disabilities have been rated at 10% since the applicable rating periods. The appeals for higher ratings are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since December 12, 2011. The Board has determined that the criteria for TDIU are met as of this date.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,For the period prior to November 9, 2016, his sinusitis was not compensably rated. For the period after November 9, 2016, a 30 percent rating is granted for sinusitis.,The Veteran's right shoulder condition and related scar are remanded due to lack of STRs and need for an examination to determine etiology.,The Veteran's back condition is remanded as VA needs to provide an opinion on the likely etiology of his current diagnosed back disability, including consideration of in-service duties.,The Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and need for addendum opinions.,The Veteran's flat feet are remanded because a VA examiner has not addressed whether preexisting flat feet were aggravated by service.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is remanded as the threshold for disability was not met in his previous examination. The issues of right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss are inextricably intertwined.,The Veteran's right hand middle finger laceration residuals are remanded due to potential missing records from hospitalization during service.,The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss is remanded as the Veteran asserts an increase in severity since his last VA examination.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition, as there has been a material change in his symptoms since his last evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for shoulder, back, bilateral knee, and right ankle disabilities as there were no current diagnoses of these conditions at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder and low back disorders are granted. The claim for bilateral knee disorder is denied.

The appeal regarding service connection for a right knee disability is dismissed. The Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder and lumbosacral spine disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating under Diagnostic Code 5201. The Board finds that his current range of motion does not warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran's duodenal ulcer is currently rated at 10 percent. The most recent VA examination did not show any incapacitating episodes or other complications, and an EGD was deemed unnecessary as the condition is 'currently quiescent.'

The Veteran's service connection claim for allergic rhinitis and his increased rating claim for right shoulder rotator cuff strain were both denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for allergic rhinitis, as there was no competent medical opinion linking it to service. For the right shoulder rotator cuff strain, the Veteran's range of motion did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.