The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain clarification on whether the Veteran's congenital absence of the bilateral pectoralis major with recurrent dislocations of both shoulders amounts to a defect or disease, and if it is a disease, whether there was superimposed injury or disease in service resulting in additional disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the June 2015 VA examiner's opinion on whether the Veteran’s congenital absence of the bilateral pectoralis major with recurrent dislocations amounted to a defect or disease was inadequate and remanded for clarification. The Board also noted that subsequent VA opinions have not addressed whether any other diagnosed shoulder conditions in the record had its onset in or were otherwise related to the Veteran's active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital bilateral absence of the pectoralis major, Labral tear (superior labral anterior-posterior lesion) of the right shoulder, Subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis of the right shoulder, Glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis of both shoulders, Acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis of both shoulders, Adhesive capsulitis (recurrent shoulder dislocations) due to congenital partial absence of pectoralis major, Supraspinatus tendinopathy of both shoulders
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18111257
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 18111257.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connected due to his fear of hostile military activity during his Vietnam service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune during service.
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