The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's low back disability prior to November 4, 2020 and denied a rating in excess of 40 percent from that date. The decision found no evidence of ankylosis or functional equivalent thereof.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was not sufficient evidence to support ratings higher than the current assigned ratings based on lack of findings of muscle spasms, guarding severe enough to cause abnormal gait or spinal contour, and unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23013152
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 23013152.
What this means for you
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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 claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluation and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to address the severity of his low back disability, including whether he has experienced incapacitating episodes of IVDS.
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