The Board granted a 20 percent rating for thoracic strain with osteophytic spurring from January 15, 2020, but denied ratings greater than 10 percent prior to that date and TDIUs due to both the thoracic strain and right elbow disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back condition showed increasing difficulty with ambulation and coordination beginning on January 15, 2020, which warranted a higher rating. However, there was no evidence of more severe motion loss prior to that date or sufficient impairment for TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- epicondylitis, right elbow, thoracic strain with osteophytic spurring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 22, 2025
- Citation
- 25015128
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (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 25015128.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's right elbow epicondylitis was found to have begun during service and is therefore granted service connection. The other issues are not addressed in the decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant in July 2013.
- Partly granted
The Board denied entitlement to increased ratings for the veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, epicondylitis of the right elbow, and subpatellar chondromalacia of both knees. The claim for service connection for heart disability was remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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