The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 10%, and a separate 20% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) associated with the lumbar spine disability has been granted. Initial 20% ratings have also been assigned for degenerative joint disease of the right metatarsophalangeal joint of the right foot and left metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms, including pain and limited range of motion in his lumbar spine, were found to meet the criteria for a 20% rating under Diagnostic Code 8526 (femoral nerve radiculopathy). The right and left metatarsophalangeal joint disabilities also met the criteria for a 20% rating based on their severity.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylosis of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the right metatarsophalangeal of the right foot with hallux valgus deformity and plantar calcaneal spur, degenerative joint disease of the left metatarsophalangeal of the foot with hallux valgus deformity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 28, 2021
- Citation
- 21025675
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 21025675.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, effective April 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to obtain opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle ganglion cyst, spondylosis of the lumbar spine, knee strain, and acromioclavicular joint arthritis are caused or aggravated by his service-connected chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome.
- Dismissed
The VA proposed reducing the appellant's disability rating for spondylosis of the lumbar spine from 40 percent to noncompensably disabling, but this proposal was not finalized and thus the appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete development related to the Veteran's lumbar spine surgery and increased rating claims. The AOJ is instructed to obtain missing medical records from the Campbell Clinic, validate the VA Form 21-4142, and then readjudicate both issues.
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