Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left hip condition, right shoulder condition, back condition, and left-hand condition. The appeal for service connection of right knee pain is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings and service connection for various conditions has been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The initial rating for migraines remains denied, while the claims for knee, foot, and shoulder conditions are being reconsidered.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left shoulder condition as secondary to his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional medical opinions to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder, right knee, and left knee conditions. The current evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are service-connected.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right knee disability, left triceps strain, and right shoulder disability have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder tendonitis with strain is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5201. The appeal for higher ratings was denied.

The Veteran's skin conditions, gastrointestinal problems, cervical spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, left arm/forearm disability, and left hand disability are all granted as service-connected. The Veteran's left shoulder disability is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that new and relevant evidence did not support readjudication of the issues.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right elbow condition, right ankle condition (including Achilles tendonitis), right shoulder condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, and back condition. The Board also found that bilateral pes planus began during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation throughout the period on appeal, and thus granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service connection claim for CFS is granted, and he is awarded a 30% disability rating for migraines. The claims for increased ratings of bilateral hand tremors and right shoulder strain are denied.

The Board has granted effective dates of December 7, 2016 for the grants of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and bilateral shoulder strains. The Veteran's claims were not considered until after VA treatment records from July 2017 were added to her file.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic left foot disability, chronic right foot disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including schizoaffective disorder), chronic lumbar spine disorder, chronic cervical spine disorder, chronic left shoulder disorder, chronic left knee disorder, chronic right knee disorder, chronic left ankle disorder, and chronic right ankle disorder. The claims are being remanded for further review.

The Veteran's appeals for increased and reduced ratings related to various knee, hip, and shoulder conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of her appeal.

The Veteran's service connection for left shoulder tendinitis is granted, and the initial disability ratings for cervical strain, left arm radiculopathy, and slight left knee instability are also granted. The Veteran's request for an increased rating for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome from March 29, 2020, is denied, but a separate initial disability rating of 10 percent for slight left knee instability is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder, to include degenerative arthritis, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after service. The examiner opined that the current left shoulder disorder is less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found no evidence of a direct relationship between the current sleep apnea, cervical strain, right shoulder strain, and lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle disabilities and active service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his obstructive sleep apnea and right shoulder disability were not productive of chronic respiratory failure or cor pulmonale, nor did they require a tracheostomy. The effective date for the initial rating of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea is October 4, 2011.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability was denied in a final decision and reopened with new evidence filed on August 22, 2013. An initial 20 percent rating has been assigned since then.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bone and endocrine disorders, right and left dry eye syndrome, cervical spine DDD, foot osteoarthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, and right shoulder radiculopathy, have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a chronic disease or injury during service that could be linked to the current conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to ensure post-service treatment records are associated with the claims file, as well as to obtain new examinations for his neck/cervical spine, right shoulder, left leg sciatica, right leg sciatica, and bilateral foot disabilities. The PACT Act does not require a TERA examination in this case.