The Veteran's claims for service connection related to postoperative changes related to spinal fusion with mild kyphosis of the cervical spine, bilateral pes planus, and chronic diarrhea have been granted. The claim for left groin disability and chronic pain in the pelvic region and thigh has been remanded.,Service connection was also granted for residuals of left Achilles tendinitis.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's postoperative changes related to spinal fusion with mild kyphosis of the cervical spine had its onset in service, and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating this claim.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for bilateral pes planus, chronic diarrhea, left groin disability, and chronic pain in the pelvic region and thigh. The Veteran's residuals of left Achilles tendinitis have also been granted.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative changes related to spinal fusion with mild kyphosis of the cervical spine centered at level C6-C7, bilateral pes planus, chronic diarrhea, left groin disability, chronic pain in left joint involving the pelvic region and thigh, residuals of left Achilles tendinitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2024
- Citation
- 24004830
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 24004830.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Appellant's requests for earlier effective dates for his service connection for bilateral pes planus and gynecomastia scar residuals, finding that the earliest possible effective dates are the dates of receipt of the claims.
- Denied
The Veteran's hypertension, bilateral pes planus, PTSD, and anxiety were all denied as service connection was not established based on the evidence of record.,Bilateral pes planus was denied due to lack of current diagnosis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board denied his claim for a higher rating as his pes planus did not result in pronounced flatfoot with marked pronation, extreme tenderness of plantar surfaces of the feet, or marked inward displacement and severe spasm of the Achilles' tendon on manipulation. For TDIU, the Veteran was granted from March 2, 2019, based on his service-connected disabilities rendering him unable to obtain and follow a substantially gainful occupation.
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