The Veteran's service connection claims for a back disability and arthritis (claimed as arthritis in hips and legs) have been denied due to lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during or were otherwise related to his military service.,A compensable evaluation for the midline sternal surgical scar prior to June 25, 2019, is also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnoses of degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and osteoarthritis of the bilateral hips were not diagnosed until decades after service and have not been persuasively attributed to any incident of his military service.,There was no evidence showing that the midline sternal surgical scar began during or was otherwise related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability (Arthritis), Arthritis (claimed as arthritis in hips and legs)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20062862
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20062862.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that further development and action is needed to determine the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including arthritis of the knees, sleep apnea, back disability, and right ankle disability. The appeal will be remanded for additional examinations and opinions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for additional development and clarification of medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, memory loss, back disability, headache disability, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The issues include service connection for these conditions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.