The Veteran's upper back condition, which includes left scapulothoracic muscular strain, is rated at a 20 percent disability level. The rating is based on the current severity of his condition as determined by a VA examination in June 2019.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's upper back condition met the criteria for a 20 percent rating due to forward flexion between 60 and 30 degrees with pain, which is consistent with Diagnostic Code 5242.
- Claimed conditions
- upper back condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194388
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (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 19194388.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, neck pain, and upper back conditions due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran contends that his current disabilities are related to an in-service injury during a softball game.
- Denied
The appeal was dismissed for tinnitus, and service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss, a low back condition, an upper back condition, right ankle, left ankle, right knee, left knee, and bilateral foot conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a sleep condition, left shoulder bursitis, left wrist CTS, right wrist CTS, upper back condition, lower back condition, and right shoulder bursitis as there was no evidence of current disability or nexus to military service.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeal for all service connection claims.
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