The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine strain is reopened, and the issue of whether his current degenerative arthritis with strain of lumbar spine is secondary to his right knee patellofemoral arthritis is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence submitted by the Veteran raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim that his current degenerative arthritis with strain of lumbar spine is related to his service-connected right knee patellofemoral arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine strain, degenerative arthritis with strain of lumbar spine, right knee patellofemoral arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19104116
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,963 · Granted: 32% (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 19104116.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of functional impairment. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if any service-connected disability results in loss of use of both lower extremities, one lower extremity and one upper extremity, or residuals affecting balance and propulsion.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in gainful employment as of January 1, 2019. The Board granted a TDIU effective from that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the reduction in disability rating for lumbar spine strain from 40% to 20% was improper and has granted a restoration of a 40% rating. The claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD remains pending.
- Granted
The Board has granted an increased rating to 20 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine strain with IVDS and degenerative arthritis, finding that his forward flexion during flare-ups closely approximates 60 degrees.
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