The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease with IVDS was denied a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to March 16, 2018 and a rating in excess of 40 percent from that date onwards.,The Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right knee was denied a higher than 10 percent rating throughout the appeal period.,The Veteran's left ankle strain was denied a higher than 10 percent rating throughout the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes of IVDS requiring bed rest prescribed by a physician and treatment by a physician, which are necessary for higher ratings under the General Rating Formula and IVDS Formula respectively.,The Veteran's right knee had flexion limited to 90 degrees and extension limited to 10 degrees, with no additional limitation due to pain or other factors. This did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion.,There was no evidence of instability in the left ankle strain.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease with IVDS, osteoarthritis of the right knee, left ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18128200
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 18128200.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's annual clothing allowance for a foot and ankle brace in the 2022 calendar year was denied because the evidence did not show that any such brace tended to wear out or tear his clothing.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ankle strain, finding that there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition preexisted active service and was not aggravated by service. The appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ankle strain, left knee strain, and bilateral hip strain due to a lack of etiology opinions in the record.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the cases due to an incomplete record and a need for additional information regarding applications filed prior to March 9, 2020.
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