The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her back disability from April 23, 2014, is denied. The most probative evidence does not show that the Veteran's back disability meets or approximates the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not demonstrate at least unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or functional equivalent thereof even when considering complaints of pain with and without weight bearing and resistance in passive and active range of motion as well as during flare-ups, nor incapacitating episodes that required bed rest prescribed by a physician and treatment by a physician having a total duration of at least 6 weeks during a 12-month period.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 12, 2024
- Citation
- 24034238
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 24034238.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA rating decision denying service connection for a right knee disability and a back disability is not supported by adequate medical opinions, and thus remands the case for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability, back disability, and left elbow disability must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran provided lay reports of symptoms but the VA examiners did not consider these reports in their conclusions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right eye, left eye, left knee, and back disabilities due to conflicting statements from the Veteran and inconsistencies in his medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that the current condition is not related to service.
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