The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is denied. The case is remanded to determine if she is entitled to a separate rating for radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence supports a finding that the Veteran’s degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is most accurately characterized by the 20 percent criteria under Diagnostic Code 5242, as forward flexion was found to be to 60 degrees, at worst.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbar Spine with Scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20077129
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 20077129.
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.
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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