The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder SLAP tear and resulting impingement are not related to his service-connected acromioclavicular joint arthritis. The effective date for the grant of service connection for right shoulder acromioclavicular joint arthritis is denied, as it predates the earliest date of claim. The Board also found that a higher disability rating for right shoulder acromioclavicular joint arthritis is not warranted.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a causal relationship between the service-connected acromioclavicular joint arthritis and the Veteran's current SLAP tear and impingement, nor does it suggest that the service-connected condition aggravated this disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Superior Labral Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) tear, Right Shoulder Acromioclavicular Joint Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2016
- Citation
- 1610279
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 1610279.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine, bilateral shoulder, and right ankle disabilities are remanded for further evaluation. The Veteran also has claims for increased ratings for tension headaches and sinusitis, which are also remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder acromioclavicular joint arthritis with supraspinatus tendinopathy is granted a 30 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the decision. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae was dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disabilities are not related to service or her service-connected back disability, and thus denied her claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and gun-shot wound residuals as aggravated by and secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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