The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to the inadequacy of the September and November 2021 VA examination reports, which were authored by different physicians. The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disabilities need to be re-evaluated with an appropriate clinician who must test for active motion, passive motion, pain with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing, and provide a retrospective opinion as to the range of motion prior to March 7, 2017.
The deciding factor: The examination reports are inconsistent and were authored by different physicians, which necessitates a new VA examination to adequately assess the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder degenerative joint disease (DJD), right shoulder DJD, total right shoulder arthroplasty
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22013647
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22013647.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee degenerative joint disease and right shoulder DJD, but denied service connection for a compensable rating for scar, right bunionectomy, bilateral hearing loss (BHL), and right radiculopathy.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied service connection for an endocrine disorder, separate and distinct from hypothyroidism, and remanded the issues of increased ratings for left knee degenerative joint disease, left shoulder DJD, and unspecified anxiety disorder.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple degenerative joint diseases of the right and left wrist, knee, shoulder, elbow, and hip, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for another VA examination to address the Veteran's lay contentions and the secondary service connection theory of entitlement.
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