The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine as secondary to his bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that it was less likely than not that the veteran's back pain was related to his service-connected knee condition, attributing the disorder more likely to aging and a motor vehicle accident in 2002.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2008
- Citation
- 0814225
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · 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 0814225.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability is remanded for additional development, including obtaining a retrospective VA medical opinion and clarifying the loss of range of motion due to repetitive use over time and flare-ups.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and clarification of the medical opinion from September 2020.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.,The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.,The Veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative joint and disc disease is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.,The Veteran's posttraumatic tension headaches are currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.
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