The veteran's low back disorder, characterized by occasional popping and locking of the lumbar spine causing muscle spasm and guarding enough to contribute to his abnormal gait, warrants a rating of 20 percent effective from July 26, 2004.
The deciding factor: The VA examination revealed that the veteran's low back disorder occasionally caused popping and locking, contributing to his abnormal gait but not significantly limiting motion during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine with lumbosacral strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 22, 2005
- Citation
- 0511553
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 0511553.
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
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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