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Denied

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder was denied as there is no evidence showing that he met the criteria for a higher rating prior to March 29, 2006.,Service connection for a low back disability was also denied due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's current condition to his active service.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's left shoulder degenerative joint disease did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent prior to March 29, 2006. The VA examinations and medical records showed that the Veteran's range of motion was within normal limits or only slightly limited by pain.,For his low back disability claim, there is no evidence showing a link between the Veteran's current condition and his active service. The Veteran did not have any documented low back issues during service, and VA examinations found no current conditions related to his military service.

Claimed conditions
Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Shoulder, Low Back Disability
How they argued it
Not specified
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
March 2, 2012
Citation
1208166

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 1208166.

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