The Board found that the Veteran does not have arthritis or any other disability of either shoulder. The VA examination revealed degenerative joint disease in the cervical spine, but no arthritis in the shoulders. The Board concluded that service connection for a shoulder disability is not warranted.
The deciding factor: There was no current diagnosis of arthritis in either shoulder based on X-ray evidence and the absence of any other supporting medical documentation.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the neck, shoulders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2009
- Citation
- 0920822
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 0920822.
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: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the neck, right knee condition (claimed as arthritis), left knee condition (claimed as arthritis), left hip condition, right hip condition, and right hand condition. The appeals are dismissed.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions as they were premature, and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and a migraine headache disability.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral flatfoot, arthritis of the neck, PTSD, radiculopathy of both upper extremities, and non-compensable ratings for umbilical hernia and right inguinal hernia.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's current shoulder strain is related to his military service.
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