The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right shoulder osteoarthritis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side, which is required for a higher rating under DC 5201. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for a right upper extremity nerve disability due to inadequate examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 30 percent disability rating under DC 5201 because his range of motion is limited to 50 degrees, which does not reach 25 degrees from the side. The Board also found that an adequate VA examination was needed to determine if the Veteran has a right upper extremity nerve condition and its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- Right shoulder osteoarthritis, Right upper extremity nerve disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23018833
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 23018833.
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 Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities and a TDIU due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the April 2023 VA examination was inadequate for adjudication purposes because testing to confirm the Veteran's diagnosis was not performed. Therefore, another remand is necessary to obtain a new VA examination which performs all relevant tests and provides an opinion on the nature and etiology of any upper extremity nerve condition.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU from June 30, 2011 to June 28, 2013 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder and physical conditions like right shoulder osteoarthritis, prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU rating based on the combined effects of these conditions.
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