The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's current back disorders, including degenerative disc and joint disease of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, as well as lumbar spine spondylolisthesis, were not caused or aggravated by the May 1958 VAMC back surgery. Therefore, the claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.
The deciding factor: The December 1999 VA examiner concluded that the veteran's current back disorders are a natural progression of his pre-surgery condition and not related to the May 1958 VAMC surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc and joint disease of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, lumbar spine spondylolisthesis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2002
- Citation
- 0209839
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 0209839.
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 remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's low back disorder is related to service or caused by his service-connected bilateral foot disability.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar and cervical spine spondylolisthesis as moot because they had already been adjudicated.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for readjudication due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an increased rating more than 10 percent for lumbar spine spondylolisthesis based on the evidence of record.
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.