The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability, which includes degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis, is not service-connected because it existed prior to service and was aggravated by natural progression rather than being incurred or aggravated during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current left shoulder condition is the result of his history of recurrent left shoulder dislocations since he was 14 years old, which preexisted service. The arthritis in the joint is due to natural age-related degenerative changes. The Board found clear and unmistakable evidence that the disability existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left shoulder osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2024
- Citation
- 24015741
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 24015741.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to untimely filing of the appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left shoulder degenerative joint disease with glenohumeral joint instability was denied as his disability did not more nearly approximate limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to January 31, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia due to potential aggravation by her service-connected disabilities. The RO must obtain medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran's conditions were aggravated by her service-connected disabilities.
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