The Veteran's left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear with degenerative arthritis could have manifested during service, within one year of service, or be otherwise related to service. The remanded opinion will determine this.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinion is inadequate due to an inaccurate factual premise and the need for a new in-person examination.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear with degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain as secondary to left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear with degenerative arthritis, left hip osteoarthritis as secondary to left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26018677
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 A26018677.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, effective August 11, 2013. The Board found that the disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's request to restore a higher rating for his left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, strain and rotator cuff tendonitis from 30% back to 20%, finding that the evidence did not show severity of symptoms resulting in limitation of flexion of the left arm to midway between the side and shoulder level.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple musculoskeletal conditions and a psychiatric condition, all of which were determined to be caused by an in-service injury.
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