The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder, concluding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinion concluded that the veteran's scoliosis and advanced degenerative arthritis are unrelated to his period of military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital scoliosis, Advanced degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 19, 2001
- Citation
- 0116647
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 0116647.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for a back disability. The Veteran's preexisting scoliosis is considered, and any diagnosed back disabilities are being evaluated in relation to active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered a supplemental opinion to address whether the Veteran's currently service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability is due to or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and if so, whether it was caused by any other service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for congenital scoliosis has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board is now considering whether there was aggravation during service or if the condition preexisted service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for DDD and DJD of the lumbar spine, finding that his current low back disability was not directly related to any event or injury in service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.