The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, recurrent right and left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals, right and left total knee replacement residuals, and right and left foot plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.
The deciding factor: The record is at least in equipoise as to whether the diagnosed conditions originated during active service. The Veteran was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam and engaged in combat. He performed in-service parachute jumps and was awarded the Parachutist Badge. Upon application of the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1154(b) and resolution of all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor, service connection is warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, recurrent right shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals, recurrent left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals, right total knee replacement residuals, left total knee replacement residuals, right foot plantar fasciitis and heel spurs, left foot plantar fasciitis and heel spurs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 29, 2025
- Citation
- A25110688
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 918 · Granted: 32% (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 A25110688.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found the eligibility determination for PCAFC enrollment to be legally inadequate and remanded for a new medical opinion that adequately addresses the criteria for eligibility as set forth in VA regulations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis as secondary to bilateral pes planus due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of contemporaneous medical records.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease are currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Veteran's RLE sciatic radiculopathy has been dismissed due to untimely filing.
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