The veteran's low back strain is rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that a higher rating was not warranted based on the current level of disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine ranging from 60 to 75 degrees with associated pain, but no spasm or guarding resulting in an abnormal gait or spinal contour. This did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2009
- Citation
- 0903044
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,421 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0903044.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a low back strain has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and low back disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.
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