The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for thoracic and lumbar degenerative disc disease, spinal arthritis, and spinal stenosis.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's back disability resulted in unfavorable ankylosis or functional equivalent thereof, nor did it support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic and lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal arthritis, and spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24033071
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability or that any of the disabilities were related to active duty.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral hip sprain and spinal arthritis, and they are dismissed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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