The VA has determined that the appellant's arthritis of the thoracic spine does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA found no evidence to support a higher rating based on the current medical findings and diagnostic codes applicable to the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0302032
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 120 · Granted: 40% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0302032.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to procedural errors and a need for additional evidence, including a VA examination.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring a new evaluation of the Veteran's arthritis of the thoracic spine and its relationship to her service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as her thoracic and lumbar spine disabilities, including scoliosis, degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine, arthritis of the thoracic spine, and bulging discs of the lumbar spine, did not have its onset during service or are otherwise related to service. Her cervical spine disability, skin disability, headaches, lower extremity paresthesia, psychiatric disability, right hip bursitis, left hip bursitis, right knee retropatellar pain syndrome, left knee arthrosis, and asthma were also denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's low back strain with degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was granted a 10 percent rating from July 1, 1997 to October 30, 2006. Since then, he is entitled to a higher rating for this condition. The arthritis of the thoracic spine has also been rated at its maximum schedular value.
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