The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's symptoms and range of motion did not meet or more nearly approximate the criteria for higher ratings at any point during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2009
- Citation
- 0911108
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 5, 2016.
- Granted
The Veteran's osteoarthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine were granted separate disability ratings, while his generalized osteoarthritis of the hands and elbow did not meet criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's current osteoarthritis of the cervical spine, osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, a seizure disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and sinus problems were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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