The Board found no evidence of chronic back disorder in service and insufficient competent medical evidence to establish a connection between the veteran's current back disorder and his period of active duty service. Therefore, service connection for both pes planus and lumbar fusion claimed as back disorder was denied.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence establishing a causal relationship between the veteran's current back disorder and his period of active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pes Planus, Lumbar Fusion Claimed as Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0314784
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 0314784.
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 remands the claims for service connection for OSA, bilateral pes planus, hypertension, migraines headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of adequate medical evidence regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Board granted the application to revise an April 2020 rating decision based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE), which severed service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and pes planus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the appeal and restored service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, denied service connection for Tinnitus, and denied an earlier effective date for the increased rating of Migraine Headaches. The Board also remanded entitlement to service connection for Pes Planus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any bilateral pes planus that may be present. The examiner should address whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's preexisting pes planus was aggravated by his military service.
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