The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The most recent VA examination in August 2017 showed forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees and combined range of motion greater than 120 degrees, which do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spondylosis with degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1815064
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 1815064.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed it due to lack of allegations of errors in fact or law.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to assess the severity of his lumbar and cervical spine disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spondylosis with degenerative changes and right lumbar radiculopathy do not meet the threshold schedular criteria for a finding of total disability based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities alone. The Board finds that he is not unemployable due solely to service-connected disabilities, as he retains some functional occupational capacity sufficient to obtain and retain gainful work.
- 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.
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