The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and ratings related to his pilonidal cystectomy scar and healed C5 fracture, finding that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date than February 14, 1974.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show any intent or claim by the veteran prior to February 14, 1974 for service connection related to his pilonidal cystectomy scar and healed C5 fracture with traumatic arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- healed C5 fracture with traumatic arthritis, pilonidal cystectomy scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0612810
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0612810.
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: Granted
The Veteran's pilonidal cystectomy scar is rated at a 10 percent disability level, effective July 19, 1995.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's pilonidal cystectomy scar, located in the midline of the buttocks and measuring up to 8 cm by 0.5 cm, is currently rated at 10 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 7804 due to its painful nature. The claim has been denied as there are no additional conditions or exposure bases that warrant a higher rating.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and a compensable evaluation for pilonidal cystectomy scar. The issues regarding nerve damage due to spinal block, bilateral leg disability, and the compensable evaluation for pilonidal cystectomy scar are remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's pilonidal cystectomy scar and increased the rating for his left shoulder disorder to 10 percent, effective from the date of grant of service connection.
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.