The Veteran's current right shoulder disability, diagnosed as arthritis, bursitis, and degenerative tendinosis of the supraspinatus tendon, is not considered to be related to his military service.
The deciding factor: There are no documented complaints or treatment for a right shoulder injury during service. The earliest post-service medical records indicating these symptoms are from 2001, well after separation from active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Arthritis, Bursitis, Degenerative Tendinosis of the Supraspinatus Tendon
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2011
- Citation
- 1146108
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 1146108.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions at the time of the June and August 2025 decisions. The cases will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error in the initial disability rating for right shoulder arthritis. The Veteran needs an addendum medical opinion regarding additional lost range of motion during painful flare-ups.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, which includes strain, tendonitis, and bursitis, has been rated at a minimum of 20 percent since August 20, 2008. The effective date for this rating is set to that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in previous examinations, requiring additional information on right shoulder ROM measurements without medication effects.
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