The Board denied service connection for cervical spine stenosis, status post-discectomy and thoracic spondylosis with ankylosing spondylitis as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or a causal relationship to active service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not persuasively show that the Veteran's current cervical spine disorder had onset during his active service, nor was there any credible evidence linking it to an event in service. Similarly, while the Veteran experienced back pain in service, the current thoracic spondylosis with ankylosing spondylitis was found to be age-related and not causally connected to the in-service strain.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine stenosis, status post-discectomy, thoracic spondylosis with ankylosing spondylitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25027849
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 an effective date of May 28, 2021 for the award of service connection for multiple conditions including cervical spine stenosis, right and left knee strains, and right and left hip osteoarthritis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to active service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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