The Veteran's DJD of the thoracolumbar spine with IVDS involving the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is currently rated at 40 percent from October 7, 2014.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports and medical records show that the Veteran's symptoms have worsened to include forward flexion to no worse than 35 degrees with incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the past 12 months from October 7, 2014.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the thoracolumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1552860
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 1552860.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's back condition is rated at 40 percent, effective October 1, 2012. The rating for radiculopathy in the right lower extremity is also granted at 20 percent. However, a higher rating of 40 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative joint disease and intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine have been rated at 60 percent since April 19, 2002.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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