The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence, but it remains undecided whether the back disorder was aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: A recent medical opinion supports a finding that the veteran's back disorder may have been aggravated by his military service, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida occulta, lipomatous tethered spinal cord syndrome
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2007
- Citation
- 0712870
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 0712870.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for spina bifida occulta (claimed as low back condition or back) was denied because he failed to report for a required VA examination without good cause, and the criteria for direct service connection were not met.
- Denied
The Veteran's child is denied benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for spina bifida because the diagnosis of spina bifida occulta does not meet the criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection claim for spina bifida occulta with degenerative arthritis and osteopenia is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature of his pre-existing condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 and § 1815, finding that she does not have a form or manifestation of spina bifida other than spina bifida occulta, and her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran.
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