The veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine is not related to his service-connected residuals of gunshot wound, and his claim for an increased rating for back disability was denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the current degenerative arthritis to the inservice injury or any other service-related condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2002
- Citation
- 0208110
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 0208110.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and foraminal stenosis based on a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine to obtain a new medical opinion that considers an in-service injury after appropriate efforts are made to obtain the appellant's service treatment records.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral neuropathy below the hips, and a skin disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development and readjudication due to an incomplete medical nexus opinion.
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