The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine arthritis was denied. The VA examinations and treatment records do not show that the Veteran’s symptoms included forward flexion limited to 60 degrees or less, combined range of motion limited to 120 degrees or less, or muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and treatment records do not show that the Veteran’s symptoms met the criteria for a higher rating under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19131846
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (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 19131846.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for lumbar spine arthritis and right lower extremity sciatica have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted. Additionally, the Veteran's sleep apnea has also been granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis with AC joint sprain and lumbar spine arthritis are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
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