The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine anomaly, fusion of C4 and C5, was not incurred or aggravated by service. The low back disability is also not attributable to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the current state of the cervical and lumbar spine was due to mechanical back pain and neck pain related to his job situation and lack of exercise, and had nothing to do with anything that happened during military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine anomaly, fusion of C4 and C5, Low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2010
- Citation
- 1016320
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 1016320.
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and arthritis, to include bilateral hips and knees, due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, prostate disability, and kidney cancer due to inadequate medical opinions and potential outstanding VA treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, finding no current diagnosis and that the Veteran's reported symptoms were not supported by medical evidence. The issues of service connection for a low back disability and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.
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