The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder degenerative arthritis and rotator cuff tendonitis are a progression of his service-connected left trapezius strain. The case is being returned for another VA examination.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examinations were found to be inadequate as they did not provide sufficient reasoning or evidence to support their conclusions regarding the progression of the Veteran's service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left trapezius strain, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2022
- Citation
- 22060086
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 22060086.
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 appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification from the August 2017 VA examiner regarding which symptoms are related to his service-connected left trapezius strain and whether any non-service-connected conditions represent a progression of that disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is proximately due to his military activities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, but denied service connection for left shoulder and right shoulder degenerative arthritis.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal regarding a rating for muscle atrophy due to thoracic outlet syndrome and related conditions has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
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