The Veteran's appeal is granted to grant an initial rating of 20 percent for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis with IVDS with strain, and separate initial ratings of 20 percent each for left knee osteoarthritis with subluxation and right knee osteoarthritis with subluxation. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for limitation of motion of the right knee is denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for sciatica of the right lower extremity is also denied. The Board has remanded his claims for TDIU and increased ratings.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s disability picture does not meet or approximate the requirements for a higher rating, as he does not have ankylosis or bed rest prescribed by a doctor.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19104316
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,446 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19104316.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
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