The Board found that the Veteran's low back and upper back conditions were not incurred or aggravated during service, and thus denied these claims. The bilateral shoulder condition was also denied as there is no current diagnosis.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology for any of the claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back condition, Unilateral sacralization at L5 vertebrae, Upper back condition (discogenic disc disease at C5, C6 vertebrae)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1705302
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 1705302.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition and right shoulder rotator cuff strain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disability are dismissed as procedural defects due to the overlapping nature of the appeals.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right hip condition, finding that the Veteran's back pain is aggravated by his right hip surgery.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition, finding that it was incurred during active duty.
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