The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spinal stenosis is a result of his service-connected low back condition and finds it to be more than severe. The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions indicate that the veteran's spinal stenosis is due to a congenital defect aggravated by his service-connected low back condition, specifically degenerative disc disease and degenerative osteoarthritis of the lumbosacral spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 12, 2002
- Citation
- 0209684
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 0209684.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, lumbar spinal stenosis, and psychiatric disorders were dismissed due to untimely notice of disagreement. The proposed rating reductions for lower extremity radiculopathy were also dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spinal stenosis, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between the condition and his active service or any service-connected disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claim for lumbar spinal stenosis due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for lumbar spinal stenosis to obtain an addendum opinion considering the impact of pain medications on the Veteran's back symptoms.
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