The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities have been denied. The current evaluations are found to be appropriate based on the evidence showing no limitation of motion or ankylosis.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran has forward flexion limited to 30 degrees, which is required for a higher evaluation under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The VA examiners did not find any ankylosis or intervertebral disc syndrome with incapacitating episodes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Degenerative arthritis of the left knee, Degenerative arthritis of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20030206
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 20030206.
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 Veteran's claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.
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