The Board found that a low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by the Veteran's active duty service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.
The deciding factor: Post-service findings for a low back disability are not etiologically related to service, including any event or incident of service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (Lumbar Spine)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2017
- Citation
- 1741059
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1741059.
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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and an increased rating for other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder. The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of multiple joints were remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render her unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment until December 22, 2011. The Board denied entitlement to TDIU for the periods specified.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for higher initial disability ratings for a lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the inadequacy of previous VA examinations that did not consider functional limitations during flare-ups. Additional medical records and another VA examination are needed.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, including obtaining missing service treatment records and conducting appropriate VA examinations.
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