The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was reopened and granted. The Board found that the Veteran had degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee and ankle arthritis.,The Veteran's shin splints were not service connected, as they are considered a manifestation of his service-connected disabilities of the knees, ankles, and feet.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran had degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee and ankle arthritis.,The VA examiner concluded that the shin splints were not service connected as they are considered a manifestation of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities of the knees, ankles, and feet.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disability, Shin Splints, Bone Spurs in Feet, Arthritis of Bilateral Hips, Prostate Cancer
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2018
- Citation
- 1803392
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 1803392.
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 has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Mays & Schnapp Pain Management and schedule the Veteran for additional medical examinations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, including diagnosed degenerative arthritis with DDD other than intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis status post L3, L4, and L5 laminectomy. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury and his ongoing symptoms since then.
- Granted
The Veteran's right and left knee strains, as well as shin splints, were granted increased ratings. The Veteran also received special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from October 25, 2017 to March 11, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
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