Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for new examinations and clarification of previous opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a clarifying medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine osteoarthritis caused or aggravated his current hip, shoulder, and knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to be 90 percent disabling, but they do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic left shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis, bilateral chronic infrapatellar bursitis with associated patellofemoral syndrome, and bilateral chronic ankle ligament strain with mild laxity. These conditions are deemed to be related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and clarification of her conditions, as well as to address the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's right shoulder tendonitis claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for an orthopedic examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and wrist disabilities were denied as there was no evidence of ankylosis or impairment of the contiguous joint, and the functional loss did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disorder and remanded it for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current left shoulder disorder is related to his service-connected gunshot wound residuals, and whether it was aggravated by that condition. The examiner should also consider additional evidence not previously reviewed.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital due to an injury sustained four days prior is denied as the treatment was not deemed emergent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a right shoulder disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further medical examination and opinion to determine if the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is causally connected to his service-connected cervical spine disability or surgery.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD and granted it. The Veteran was also found to have a current diagnosis of TBI, left shoulder disability, and skin disability (including xerosis and due to an undiagnosed illness).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for TDIU and basic eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's dysthymic disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The stomach disability, neck pain, shoulder pain, face pain, jaw pain, and numbness are proximately due to his service-connected essential tremor and degenerative changes of the cervical spine. The Veteran's sleep disorder is proximately due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The initial rating for right knee ACL repair and DJD was not granted, while the initial schedular rating for right knee replacement was granted but at a reduced level.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied across multiple conditions, with the Board finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after scheduling him for an appropriate video conference hearing.