The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis and sprain of the thoracolumbar spine is manifested by forward flexion to 30 degrees or less, warranting a disability rating of 40 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been diagnosed with degenerative arthritis and sprain of the thoracolumbar spine, which limits his ability to move his back significantly. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's forward flexion is limited to 20 degrees without pain, meeting the criteria for a 40 percent disability rating under DC 5242.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disability, Right hand disability, Left hand disability, Right elbow disability, Left elbow disability, Right wrist disability, Left wrist disability, Right foot disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 24, 2016
- Citation
- 1611902
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 1611902.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right elbow disability and a nasal disability, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board found that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for brain cancer, low back disability, and cervical spine disability due to a pre-decisional error in failing to obtain a radiation dose estimate from the Under Secretary for Health. The Veteran's military service aboard USS ENTERPRISE is considered relevant to his exposure to ionizing radiation.
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