The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board also granted service connection for a right ankle disorder and a psychiatric disorder (PTSD with major depressive disorder), both secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent based on its orthopedic manifestations, which are analogous to forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine of 30 degrees or less. The psychiatric disorder (PTSD with major depressive disorder) and right ankle disorders have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, psychiatric disorder (PTSD with major depressive disorder)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 31, 2012
- Citation
- 1244247
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 1244247.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as these issues have been addressed in a separate docket.
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