The veteran's service connection claim for a thoracic spine disorder is granted as his current degenerative osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine was incurred in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the scoliosis, which likely predated service, caused the veteran's current degenerative changes to the thoracic spine.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine, scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2006
- Citation
- 0601133
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a new VA examination and medical opinion to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claim for service connection for scoliosis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial disability rating higher than 40 percent for lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome, degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, spondylosis with moderate-severe foraminal spinal stenosis and scoliosis to obtain a retrospective medical opinion addressing the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability from August 24, 2012, to June 24, 2020.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for scoliosis and found that the reduction in the combined disability rating for bulging discs in the lumbar spine, lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and spondylosis from 40 percent to 10 percent was proper.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and for compensable ratings for bilateral hallux valgus, as there was no evidence of a current disability or functional impairment.
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