The Board found that the Veteran's current back disorders, including degenerative disc disease and scoliosis, are not service-connected as they were not caused or aggravated by his military service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any superimposed injury during service resulted in an additional disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's developmental defect of scoliosis was not subject to a superimposed disease or injury resulting in an additional disability, and his other back disorders were consistent with age. The examiner also found no direct relationship between the Veteran's current back disorders and service, including injuries during basic training.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder, degenerative disc disease, mild degenerative changes in the facet joints of the lower lumbar spine, degenerative disc changes at L5/S1, marginal osteophytes from L4 to S1, scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1744931
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 1744931.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, back disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a failure to provide notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, including degenerative disc disease and scoliosis, due to lack of current disability evidence.
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