Service connection for degenerative arthritis of spine is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hip pain, to include secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis of spine is remanded.,Service connection for sleep apnea, to include secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis of spine is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs show complaints of low back pain starting in December 2002 until separation in 2004. The post-service medical records also confirm the Veteran’s long history of back pain, leading to a diagnosis of lumbar spine early degenerative disc disease at L3-4 through L5-S1.,The Veteran's STRs and post-service medical records establish continuity of symptomology for his hip pain, with evidence of chronic back pain from degenerative arthritis of spine. The Veteran testified that his current hip pain is related to sciatic nerve issues stemming from service.,The Veteran has a history of sleep apnea diagnosed in 2010 and treated with a CPAP machine. An opinion is needed to determine if this condition was caused or aggravated by service, specifically the lumbar spine condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of spine, Bilateral hip pain, Sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19188879
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,893 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19188879.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, as it is unclear whether his condition is caused or aggravated by his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities and obesity. The AOJ will need to provide a VA examination to clarify these issues.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
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