The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability as secondary to the veteran's service-connected post-medial meniscectomy of the left knee.
The deciding factor: Three private examiners separately opined that the veteran's current low back disabilities are related to his service-connected left knee disability, and this evidence is in equipoise with other medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- low back degeneration, lumbosacral strain and sprain, spina bifida occulta at S1
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 31, 2001
- Citation
- 0102944
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 0102944.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including obtaining additional records and affording the Veteran a VA examination.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting spina bifida occulta at S1 did not become aggravated during service, and there is no evidence of a back disability in service. The current herniated disc at L5-S1 was first diagnosed many years after service and is not related to his pre-existing condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records of a reported motor vehicle accident and treatment in service. The Veteran's claim remains pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding a claimed inservice motor vehicle accident at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, which may be relevant to establishing service connection for a back disorder.
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