The Board granted a 40 percent rating for mechanical low back pain effective October 22, 1999. The right heel bone spur was rated at 10 percent prior to this decision and remains at that level.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected mechanical low back pain is manifested by severe limitation of motion as of October 22, 1999, warranting a higher rating than the current 40 percent assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- mechanical low back pain, right heel bone spur
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0303983
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · Granted: 26% (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 0303983.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Denied
The VA denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, right heel bone spur, and right foot bunion because the evidence did not show worsening of pre-existing conditions during service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for mechanical low back pain, musculoskeletal neck and cervical spine, and ear condition (such as earaches) based on the evidence showing that these conditions had their onset during active service with continuity of symptoms to the present.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded all issues to the VA for further examination and documentation. The Veteran's claims are being sent back to the VA for additional evaluations.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of mechanical low back pain and congenital fusion of L3-4 is remanded. The Board needs more information to decide if the condition was aggravated by military service.
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