IN RE: Robert WAHL (1997)

OPINION OF THE COURT

The order of the Appellate Division should be reversed, with costs, and the petition dismissed.

There was credible evidence before the Board of Trustees of lack of a causal relationship between petitioner's service-related injury and his disabling degenerative lumbar spine condition, in the form of the Medical Board's record-based, rational medical explanation and the testimony of the Department's Chief Medical Officer based upon an interpretation of the medical reports and MRI film (see, Matter of Meyer v. Board of Trustees, 90 N.Y.2d 139, 659 N.Y.S.2d 215, 681 N.E.2d 382 ).   The fact that the Medical Board did not ascertain the genesis of petitioner's long-standing and progressive disc disease does not invalidate its finding that this disabling condition was not causally connected to the service injury (see, Matter of Drayson v. Board of Trustees, 37 A.D.2d 378, 381, 326 N.Y.S.2d 328, affd 32 N.Y.2d 852, 346 N.Y.S.2d 273, 299 N.E.2d 684).

On review of submissions pursuant to section 500.4 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals (22 NYCRR 500.4), order reversed, etc.

MEMORANDUM.

KAYE, C.J., and TITONE, BELLACOSA, SMITH, LEVINE, CIPARICK and WESLEY, JJ., concur in memorandum.