The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine was denied. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's reported symptoms and physical examination findings were consistent with a diagnosis of degenerative joint disease, but did not demonstrate forward flexion to less than 30 degrees or favorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine as required for higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 25, 2010
- Citation
- 1019270
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 1019270.
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 Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right ankle disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle condition was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal during his Board Hearing. The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, spinal stenosis, and lumbar-sacral spondylosis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further examinations and consideration of service connection claims due to lack of recent evaluations.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her lumbar spine disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
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