The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, including degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis with fusion. The preponderance of evidence shows that his current condition is not causally related to any disease or injury in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found it significant that the Veteran had a documented back injury in 1984 and no other significant back injuries or complaints during the balance of his additional few years in service, concluding that the claimed condition was less likely than not caused by service.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis with fusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19145317
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, back disability, and other conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Veteran was awarded service connection for allergic rhinitis based on the PACT Act, but an earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022, is not warranted.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a back disability, effective immediately. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for left knee tendonitis with patellofemoral pain syndrome and degenerative joint disease based on limitation of flexion from October 4, 2024, to the present, and a 50 percent rating for the same condition from February 5, 2025, to the present.
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