The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine mild degenerative disk disease at L4-L5 is not related to his service, and denied his claim.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's back strain in service resolved fully prior to separation from service, and thus there was no relationship between this resolved strain and his current diagnosis of degenerative disk disease.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine mild degenerative disk disease at L4-L5
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1624805
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 1624805.
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
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