The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected low back disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent from May 15, 2007, to April 1, 2009.
The deciding factor: The VA examination conducted in July 2007 showed forward flexion limited to 85 degrees, which did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent as per the General Formula for Rating Diseases and Injuries of the Spine (General Formula).
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain with degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 26, 2017
- Citation
- 1713666
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 1713666.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to insufficient retrospective medical opinions addressing additional functional loss during flareups and with repeated use over time. The VA needs to obtain new addendum opinions for both cervical spine and low back disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to May 21, 2012. The Board found that the evidence did not support his claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's low back disability is being remanded for a new evaluation to determine its current severity.
- Granted
The Veteran's sciatica, right lower extremity is now rated at 40 percent effective July 7, 2021. The low back strain with degenerative disc disease remains rated at 40 percent. The rating for sciatica prior to December 2, 2019 was denied.
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