The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and his sarcoma of the left medial arm did not require treatment in the past year.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back condition was found to have less than full range of motion with pain noted during bending. The examiner also noted functional loss due to pain and limited range of motion. His sarcoma disability, however, had no recent treatment or evidence of active disease requiring a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral spondylosis with spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine at L5-S1, sarcoma of the left medial arm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1713402
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1713402.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The case is being remanded for issuance of an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's range of motion in the thoracolumbar spine.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding functional loss during flare-ups and range of motion testing. The Veteran is to be provided with a VA examination that addresses these issues.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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