The Board has granted service connection for upper and lower back disorders, finding that the veteran's inservice injury may have contributed to his current conditions. The right knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent due to moderate impairment of motion.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding that the veteran's inservice injury may have caused early degeneration in his spine and contributed to his current back and neck complaints, warranting service connection for these disabilities. For the right knee, there is no objective evidence of recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, but the veteran reports pain which is considered under DeLuca v. Brown.
- Claimed conditions
- upper back disorder, low back disorder, right knee injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 30, 2002
- Citation
- 0213245
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 0213245.
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 appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back disorder to obtain additional medical evidence and ensure that the Veteran is afforded every possible consideration.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a low back disorder was dismissed as the RO granted service connection in a November 2023 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and traumatic brain injury due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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