The Veteran's cervical spondylosis is not productive of forward flexion of the cervical spine greater than 15 degrees but not greater than 30 degrees, a combined range of motion of the cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees, ankylosis, or incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome having a total duration of at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks during the past 12 months.,From March 23, 2011 to October 1, 2013, the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was not productive of forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees, a combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees, ankylosis, or incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome having a total duration of at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks during the past 12 months. From October 2, 2013, the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine has not been productive of forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine at 30 degrees or less, favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine, or incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome having a total duration of at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the past 12 months.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under the General Rating Formula and IVDS Formula.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical Spondylosis, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2018
- Citation
- 1804862
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 1804862.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder due to a lack of new and relevant evidence, and remanded the claim for an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, service connection for polysubstance abuse disorder secondary to a service-connected disability, and a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD and increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal for a compensable initial rating for COPD and scar of the left shoulder was withdrawn. Other appeals were denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's request to revise or reverse a January 20, 2015, rating decision that denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the basis of clear and unmistakable error was denied. The Board also remanded entitlement to service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.
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