The Veteran's back disability has been granted service connection and assigned a 10 percent initial disability rating, effective January 31, 2005. The Veteran is also in receipt of separate 10 percent ratings for sensory deficit of the external cutaneous nerve or left thigh and for sensory deficit of the right extremity associated with the service-connected back disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports have consistently shown that the Veteran's back disability has not resulted in ankylosis, incapacitating episodes lasting at least 2 weeks, forward flexion to less than 60 degrees, or combined range of motion to less than 120 degrees. The symptoms reported by the Veteran are consistent with a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5243.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome, lumbar spine, degenerative arthritis changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 2, 2014
- Citation
- 1414177
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 1414177.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, effective January 19, 2023. The Board denied higher ratings for the lumbar spine disability prior to that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient January 2010 VA examination opinion and a need for an additional VA medical opinion regarding service connection for IVDS with degenerative arthritis changes and peripheral nerve deficit of the right extremity.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis changes and peripheral nerve deficit of the right extremity was not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding of service connection.
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