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 assigned
- None in this 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 vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0311277.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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shoulder disabilities were dismissed because the issues were already pending in a Higher-Level Review, which was not withdrawn before filing the Board appeal.
- 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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.