The veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis warrants a 40 percent rating. A separate 10 percent rating is assigned for the arthritis of the thoracic spine.
The deciding factor: The VA examination findings and medical history support a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain with severe limitation of motion, without radicular symptoms. The veteran's arthritis of the thoracic spine also warrants a separate 10 percent rating due to moderate limitation of motion.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, arthritis of thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- September 5, 2002
- Citation
- 0211417
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 0211417.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The claims for bilateral pes planus and bilateral plantar fasciitis with right foot Morton's neuroma were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis due to a clear and unmistakable error in a July 1981 rating decision.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for tinnitus, and service connection for various conditions, including knees and hips.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and disc disease with IVDS, radiculopathy of the RUE, LUE, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, LLE, and RLE.
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