The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and left knee disability are rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for either condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less, which would be required for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (lumbar spine disability), retropatellar pain syndrome of the left knee (left knee disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21021208
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 21021208.
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The appellant is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits, effective September 1, 2020.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was granted service connection with a 20% disability rating. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee disability were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's increased rating claims for various joint and headache disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports that did not consider all of the Veteran's symptomology.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is found to be directly related to his active-duty service. His left lower extremity radiculopathies are also found to be due to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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