The Board denied service connection for flowing vertebral osteophytes consistent with DISH, finding that the Veteran's current condition is unrelated to his military service and any service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of a direct link between the Veteran’s inservice helicopter crash and his current thoracic spinal pathology.
- Claimed conditions
- flowing vertebral osteophytes consistent with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), arthritic changes, disc bulging of the thoracic spinal segment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19193130
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 19193130.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a disorder manifested by right knee pain and arthritic changes, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his active duty service.
- Granted
The Veteran's right foot disabilities are service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran's right foot issues, including arch collapse and tendon dysfunction, were due to active service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service-connected GSW residuals to the left foot more nearly approximate a severe foot injury, and his PTSD has resulted in total occupational and social impairment since September 17, 2007.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of an excision of a degenerative osteophyte from the left thumb metacarpal do not warrant a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent.
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