The Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities are granted as secondary to his service-connected thoracic spine, cervical spine, and degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine. The right and left knee disabilities remain in dispute.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s lumbar spine disability is etiologically related to his service-connected thoracic spine and cervical spine disabilities due to overuse and overstretching from limited motion in the upper portions of the spine, leading to the development of the lumbar spine issues. The right and left knee disabilities are not addressed as they lack a nexus opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine, bilateral knee strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20042400
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 20042400.
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
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- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability, including arthritis, is service connected as it had its onset during his active service and there is no clear and unmistakable error in previous decisions. The appeal for service connection is granted.
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