The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective from April 9, 2014. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and medical records do not show ankylosis or other exceptional circumstances warranting a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5237-5024.
- Claimed conditions
- Discogenic disease lumbar spine, Intervertebral disc syndrome, Chronic thoracolumbar sprain (previously myofascial syndrome left rhomboid area)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132427
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran. The claims for obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, and headache disability were remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a back condition, including degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, namely lumbar spondylosis, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and intervertebral disc syndrome as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected retropatellar syndrome, arthritis and meniscal strain, right knee.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's cervical spine disability, service connection for post-surgical cervical spine scar and left upper extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the cervical spine condition, and a TDIU from August 24, 2017. The right upper extremity radiculopathy rating was denied.
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