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Denied

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with lumbar and thoracolumbar scoliosis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion, as the combined range of motion remained within the 40% threshold.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's combined range of motion for his thoracolumbar spine was consistently at or above 30 degrees throughout the appeal period, which is below the threshold required for a 40% rating under Diagnostic Code 5242.

Claimed conditions
Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with lumbar and thoracolumbar scoliosis
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
40%
Decision date
October 20, 2016
Citation
1641153

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 1641153.

What this means for you

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