The Board denied service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, status post hemilaminectomy and medial facetectomy of L5-S1, as there was no evidence that the condition was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence to support a finding that the veteran's current low back disability was related to his in-service injury. The Board noted that the veteran had acute and transitory complaints of back pain during service, which resolved prior to separation, and there was no evidence of continuing back pathology for several decades following separation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, status post hemilaminectomy and medial facetectomy of L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2006
- Citation
- 0600126
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and increased the disability rating for the lumbar spine to 20 percent effective August 18, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a back disability to verify the Veteran's period(s) of active duty for training (ACDUTRA), inactive duty for training (IDT), and/or active duty for special work (ADSW) from September 2013 to August 2021, and to obtain a VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, as secondary to a service-connected lumbosacral strain with spinal stenosis and spondylosis.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for a low back disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability as there is no credible evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.
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