The Board found that the veteran's current bicipital tendonitis and degenerative changes of the right shoulder are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected residuals of excision of fatty tumor, right shoulder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners noted separate processes affecting the veteran's right shoulder: one related to the removal of a fatty tumor and another related to bicipital tendonitis. They found no direct link between the current condition and the service-connected residuals.
- Claimed conditions
- bicipital tendonitis, degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0311277
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0311277.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain with degenerative changes, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased disability evaluations for his right and left shoulder disabilities were dismissed because the issues were already pending in a Higher-Level Review, which was not withdrawn before filing the Board appeal.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on his lumbar spine disability, right leg radiculopathy, and scars are being remanded due to procedural errors. The VA will need to correct these issues before the claims can be reconsidered.
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