The Board found that the veteran's left shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tear predated his October 1997 VA surgery, and were not caused or aggravated by the surgery. The RO had previously granted compensation for osteomyelitis of the left shoulder under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, but denied benefits for the other conditions.
The deciding factor: The post-operative infection may have compromised the results of the surgery, but it could not be said to have aggravated the pre-existing shoulder condition; only that the rotator cuff repair itself was more likely to have been compromised by the infection than not.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2002
- Citation
- 0217530
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0217530.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA will obtain new opinions from different VA examiners to address whether the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure during combat.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of the left upper extremity is remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding her service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder impingement syndrome as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or event that could be linked to his current condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018. The right shoulder disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018.
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