The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show symptoms more closely approximating the criteria required for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2023
- Citation
- 23000298
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, but granted a 40 percent rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine to schedule a new examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for increased ratings of degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, cervical spine degenerative disc disease with torticollis, and right upper extremity radiculopathy to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for consideration of additional evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and degenerative arthritis of the left knee, but remanded claims for a neck disorder, right upper leg/hip disorder, left upper leg/hip disorder, and headaches.
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