The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, including spina bifida, spondylosis, and mild disc bulge. The Board found that the pre-existing spina bifida did not worsen during service and was not aggravated by service. Additionally, the current spondylosis and disc bulge were not shown to be related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's pre-existing spina bifida did not worsen during service and was not aggravated by service. The current low back disability (spondylosis and mild disc bulge) was found to be unrelated to service.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida, spondylosis, mild disc bulge
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0606284
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,374 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0606284.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Denied
The claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for a child born with spina bifida is denied because no new and relevant evidence has been submitted to support the claim.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine discogenic disease status post surgery, spondylosis, and facet arthropathy as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. The SMC claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
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