The Board granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disability based on findings of slight limitation of motion and compression fracture deformity at T12. Additional ratings under Diagnostic Code 5285 were not warranted due to lack of demonstrable deformity in other thoracic vertebrae.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the presence of fractures or demonstrable deformity in any thoracic vertebra, and therefore, Diagnostic Code 5285 was not applicable. The veteran's disability was characterized as slight limitation of motion of the thoracic spine, which met the criteria for a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Codes 5291.
- Claimed conditions
- Spondylolisthesis, Scheuermann's disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 13, 2006
- Citation
- 0604134
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,464 · Granted: 14% (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 0604134.
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
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