The Board denied the claim for service connection for a back disorder, including on a secondary basis, as there is no probative and competent medical evidence to support that the Veteran's current degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are related to his active duty service or caused by his service-connected left second metatarsal disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the in-service muscle strain resolved with no residuals, and there is no evidence of a chronic back condition resulting from this incident. The degenerative changes of the lumbar spine were first diagnosed decades after separation from service, and the Veteran's obesity was noted as a contributing factor.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2025
- Citation
- 25006367
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.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for pes planus (flat feet) and remanded several other issues, including service connection for various disorders and increased ratings for the right knee. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, and neuropathy as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development and verification of any additional periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.
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