The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine was granted a 40% rating prior to October 5, 2021. The Board found the evidence in approximate balance regarding his range of motion and awarded the benefit of doubt to grant the higher rating.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed limited but not fixed range of motion, warranting a 40% rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- May 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22027540
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 22027540.
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 service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left shoulder arthritis, finding no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right hip, and right renal atrophy with renal insufficiency as secondary to the Veteran's left knee disability. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for instability of the left knee.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals related to service connection, increased ratings, and effective dates for various conditions due to procedural defects.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and missing service treatment records. The Veteran's low back condition is being reviewed again for proper consideration.
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