Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further examination. The case will be returned to the Board after all necessary development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder adhesive capsulitis and right calf sprain are remanded due to the lack of current diagnoses. The claim for central serous retinopathy was previously denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new VA examinations and a Statement of the Case on effective date issues.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for an effective date earlier than August 24, 1995, for the grant of service connection for an anterior labral tear of the right shoulder. As a result, the Board dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of July 22, 2009 for the award of a 30 percent rating for right knee strain with degenerative joint disease. The claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition is reopened.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability was reopened and granted. His claims for higher ratings for his lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, as well as the TDIU prior to August 1, 2008, are still pending.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, prior to September 21, 2011, was rated at 50 percent.,From September 21, 2011 to September 21, 2012, the Veteran's right shoulder disability received a 100 percent rating due to his right shoulder replacement.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and TDIU was granted. He is now entitled to a combined rating of 70 percent, which meets the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a left shoulder disability, which he contends is related to his service-connected gout and/or lumbar spine disability. The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current left shoulder condition and his service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed left knee, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left shoulder disorders. The claims will be reviewed after these opinions are obtained.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and right shoulder arthritis were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a diagnosis within one year post-service. The medical opinions provided did not support a direct relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder sprain more nearly approximates a finding of limitation of motion at shoulder level, warranting a 20 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current neck and right shoulder disorders began in service or are etiologically related to service. The previous VA opinions were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's history of pain since service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability and granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for bilateral knee disability and bilateral hearing loss are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to appear at a previously scheduled videoconference hearing. The case will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has resulted in painful motion and weakness that cause limitation of motion to shoulder level, warranting a 20 percent rating from February 27, 2008 to September 8, 2013. The claimant is not entitled to an increased rating beyond the granted 20 percent.

The Board has ordered additional examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and hand disabilities. The case is being remanded to allow for these actions.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating available for limitation of motion. The evidence does not support a higher rating as there is no additional functional loss beyond what has been recorded by the examiners.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and denied an increased initial rating for the Veteran's right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine or a rating in excess of 10 percent for right shoulder strain.