The Board found that the veteran's back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the probative evidence showed that the veteran's currently diagnosed back disability is not related to an in-service disease or injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2004
- Citation
- 0433961
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0433961.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the neck and back to obtain a new VA examination and opinion addressing whether these disabilities are related to the Veteran's service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the neck, back, left upper arm joint, left knee, and right knee. The VA examiners found no evidence of in-service injury or illness that caused these conditions.,There is no medical record showing any chronic condition related to the Veteran's military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the back and right shoulder did not manifest during service or within one year after separation, nor is it causally related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the back, elbows, and shoulders as it was not shown to be due to any incident or event in active service, nor can it be presumed to have been incurred in service.
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