The Board has granted a 20 percent disability rating for the service-connected residuals of a compression fracture of the thoracolumbar spine with traumatic arthritis prior to February 8, 2018. The Veteran's back disability is rated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's range of motion during flare-ups or after repetitive use was limited to forward flexion to 60 degrees with pain, extension to 30 degrees, bilateral flexion to 30 degrees, and bilateral rotation to 30 degrees. This meets the criteria for a 20 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- compression fracture of the thoracolumbar spine, traumatic arthritis (back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 17, 2022
- Citation
- 22009616
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 22009616.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of service connection for a compression fracture of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date prior to August 7, 2012.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for compression fracture of the thoracolumbar spine with degenerative disc disease and strain was granted effective August 7, 2012. The Board found that an earlier effective date prior to this decision is not warranted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 7, 2012 for the grant of service connection for compression fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. The decision found that the preponderance of evidence was against a finding that any earlier claims were entitled to an effective date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected spine disability and any associated neurologic involvement.
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