The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine degenerative changes are currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not show forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine limited to 30 degrees or less, nor any ankylosis involving the thoracolumbar spine. The Veteran's current 20 percent evaluation appropriately contemplates the degree of limited range of motion that may exist during periods of exacerbation.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19138799
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,037 · 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 19138799.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration due to new evidence received after the June 2020 SOC.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative changes. The issues of service connection for hypertension and a bilateral eye disability are remanded due to outstanding medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and adjudication of his TDIU claim.
- 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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