The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for traumatic arthritis of the left ankle with disuse osteoporosis is granted. The claim for service connection for lumbar strain as secondary to traumatic arthritis, left ankle with disuse osteoporosis is also granted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's lumbar strain was caused by his service-connected left ankle disorder due to the normal aging process and muscular pain rather than intrinsic pathology.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Arthritis of Left Ankle, Lumbar Strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2009
- Citation
- 0939881
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 0939881.
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.
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The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus are all granted service connection.,Service connection for GERD is also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 12, 2016 to November 12, 2018 and from January 1, 2019 to July 22, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, which the Board finds may be service-connected through secondary service connection due to obesity resulting from his service-connected PTSD and back disability. However, VA failed to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing heart failure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, lumbar strain, and right shoulder strain have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 17, 2018. TDIU is granted effective from that date.
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