The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that his current spinal stenosis is related to in-service injuries. However, it denied service connection for his bilateral shoulder disability due to a lack of evidence linking his current osteoarthritis to his time in service.,While the Veteran reported experiencing shoulder pain during service while playing basketball, the Board found insufficient evidence to establish that his current bilateral shoulder condition is related to his military service.

The deciding factor: The Board concluded that there was no chronicity of symptoms or medical evidence linking the Veteran's in-service back injuries to his current spinal stenosis. The examiner noted a lack of treatment records during and immediately after service, which the Board considered inadequate for adjudication purposes.,For the shoulder condition, the Board found insufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran's osteoarthritis began during or within one year following his military service. The absence of any indication of relevant complaints until decades after service was noted as a factor.

Claimed conditions

{"condition_name":"Low back disability","diagnosis":"Spinal stenosis"}, {"condition_name":"Bilateral shoulder disability","diagnosis":"Osteoarthritis"}

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

June 18, 2019

Citation

19147398