The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show forward flexion limited to no more than 60 degrees or incapacitating episodes during the period on appeal.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner noted that the Veteran had forward flexion to 80 degrees with pain, resulting in a limitation of motion to 70 degrees. This was within the range for a 20 percent rating and did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, IVDS (intervertebral disc syndrome)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 4, 2021
- Citation
- A21017920
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 A21017920.
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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