The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his thoracolumbar spine condition was granted with an effective date of November 26, 2019. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The VA examination in November 2019 showed forward flexion limited to 65 degrees and extension limited to 30 degrees, with combined range of motion at 185 degrees. These findings were consistent with a 20 percent disability rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) and Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20066053
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (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 20066053.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are being remanded for further examination to assess the current severity of his conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered a new examination to assess the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine condition due to additional functional loss during flare-ups and after repetition over time. The case is remanded for this purpose.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected DJD and DDD of the thoracolumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, reflecting limitation of motion. The evidence does not support a higher rating as her range of motion has consistently been within the limits for a 20 percent rating.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back and left knee disabilities are not related to service, and his right knee disability is not shown to be present. The Veteran's claimed TBI residuals have been remanded for further development.
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