The veteran's lumbosacral disability is primarily manifested by forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine of 45 degrees, with no evidence of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.
The deciding factor: The range of motion findings did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under either the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine or the Formula for Rating Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Based on Incapacitating Episodes.
- Claimed conditions
- Left hemilaminectomy with degenerative disc disease, Bilateral hip pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 23, 2009
- Citation
- 0902375
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,084 · Granted: 20% (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 0902375.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hip pain, GERD, supraventricular tachycardia/atrial fibrillation, and peripheral artery disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected mechanical low back pain with degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hip pain and right knee instability, both secondary to lumbar degenerative disc disease, left knee disabilities, and lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a remand is needed to address the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to complications from his September 18, 2015, total right knee arthroplasty.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for multiple joint pain, including as due to an undiagnosed illness or other qualifying chronic disability pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1117, and shoulder and hip pain have been denied because the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.
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