The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that his pre-existing spina bifida occulta was aggravated by injuries sustained during service. The veteran is now entitled to compensation for this condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner and Dr. F. determined that the veteran experienced a superimposed back injury during service on top of pre-existing spina bifida occulta, resulting in additional disability manifested by pain with radicular symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Spina Bifida Occulta, Chronic Myofascial Mid and Low Back Pain
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2006
- Citation
- 0632917
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,013 · Granted: 17% (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 0632917.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The claim for service connection for PTSD has already been granted and the appeal of that claim is therefore dismissed. The claim for a back disability, including spina bifida occulta and paraspinous muscle spasms, is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, including DDD with spondylolisthesis and spina bifida occulta, is being remanded due to the need for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a low back disability due to new and material evidence. The Veteran's congenital spondylolysis, spina bifida occulta, and spondylolisthesis are not subject to service connection without superimposed injury or disease.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's spina bifida occulta clearly and unmistakably preexisted service, but was not aggravated by active service. The most probative evidence indicates no current low back disability is related to service or a service-connected condition.
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