The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is manifested by DDD, minor spondylosis, limited motion, to include forward flexion limited no worse than 70 degrees, pain, guarding, tenderness, and moderate disc protrusion causing radicular pain down the left lower extremity. The criteria for an increased rating greater than 10 percent have not been met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is manifested by DDD with forward flexion limited to 85 degrees, extension limited to 25 degrees, and combined thoracolumbar spine motion limited to 220 degrees. These findings do not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 10 percent under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 16, 2010
- Citation
- 1022419
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 1022419.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine, finding that his service-connected condition aggravated his nonservice-connected OSA.
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