The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of low back disability and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition. The claim for an increased rating for thoracic spine disability is denied as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or intervertebral disc syndrome.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing a current disability of the lumbar spine, and the veteran's complaints are limited to the thoracic spine. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection for low back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- low back (lumbar spine), thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 31, 2006
- Citation
- 0633637
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 0633637.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for chronic residuals of a motor vehicle accident. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his musculoskeletal disabilities, including those affecting his spine and arms, which he contends are related to an in-service motor vehicle accident.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his back disability as of January 18, 2016 is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 40 percent for the service-connected back disability is granted. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability is remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back and neck conditions, as well as his claim for a thoracic spine condition. The evidence did not establish that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.
- Granted
The veteran's service-connected back disability is rated at 40 percent effective November 7, 2005. Prior to this date, the rating was 20 percent.
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