The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with mild scoliosis, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to active duty service.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the Veteran's consistent reports of back pain symptoms in and since service, which were found credible by the Board despite VA opinions relying solely on lack of contemporaneous medical evidence without considering lay statements.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis, Degenerative disc disease, Scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2021
- Citation
- 21070779
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 21070779.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a neck injury, including degenerative arthritis, IVDS, spinal stenosis, and history of spinal fusion, based on the evidence showing chronicity since service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 25, 2025 for the award of service connection for degenerative disc disease thoracolumbar spine with degenerative arthritis, spinal stenosis, and levoscoliosis.
- Denied
The appeal for an increased rating for left hip, the claims for entitlement to an earlier effective date and an increased rating for right knee strain, and the appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left shoulder strain were dismissed. The claim for a 40 percent rating from June 24, 2021 for degenerative disc disease was granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disability as secondary to a cervical spine disability due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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