The Board granted a 40% disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar disability from April 18, 2013 to July 22, 2015. The rating was denied in excess of 40% for the period from April 18, 2013 to February 14, 2017 and granted a 50% disability rating starting from February 15, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar disability had ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine as of February 15, 2017, warranting a 50% disability rating under Diagnostic Code 5242.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006805
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease and associated radiculopathy, as the record does not include all relevant treatment records prior to back surgery.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, including degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis, spondylolisthesis, and compression fracture at L2, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease as secondary to service-connected knee disabilities due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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