The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and left leg sciatic nerve condition are not service-connected, as they pre-existed his military service. The right knee disability is also not service-connected as it was not caused by or aggravated by the lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a nexus between the Veteran's current back and left leg conditions and his in-service injury. His private physician did not find any connection between his right knee condition and his lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Paralysis of Sciatic Nerve in Lower Left Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2017
- Citation
- 1720100
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 1720100.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the July 2019 rating decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and radiculopathies of both lower extremities have been granted, with effective dates from December 3, 2020, to October 7, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD and tinnitus are granted service connection, while anxiety is denied. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome do not meet the criteria for service connection.,Service connection for left elbow tendinitis is remanded due to lack of evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran is not eligible for PCAFC benefits due to a lack of personal care services and supervision. The decision will be remanded to allow for further review by VA.
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