The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative changes, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or incapacitating episodes.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and treatment records showed forward flexion beyond 30 degrees and no objective medical evidence of favorable or unfavorable ankylosis. The Veteran's reported periods of incapacitating low back pain did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on incapacitating episodes (requiring physician prescribed bed rest).
- Claimed conditions
- Intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19149283
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (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 19149283.
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for increased disability ratings for his intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative changes is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a retrospective addendum opinion to assess the severity of his condition at the time of previous examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate retrospective assessments of the Veteran's disability during the periods of July 2011 and March 2018 VA examinations, as well as failure to consider staged ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative changes is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and clarification of current severity.
- 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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