The Board granted service connection for a lumbar strain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee arthritis.
The deciding factor: The positive nexus opinion from G. Uribe, APRN, MN, FNP was found probative and supported by medical literature indicating that alterations in joint kinematics can affect other major joints, including the lumbar spine, leading to a compensatory walking strategy with biomechanical changes.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- June 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25052271
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 remands the case for further development, including obtaining new medical opinions and examination reports to address the issues of service connection and increased ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and TDIU due to missing records.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, lumbar strain, and left knee strain. The initial rating period from March 5, 2024, was denied for allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during active service.
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