The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with spinal stenosis and IVDS is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's range of motion was limited to 60 degrees forward flexion and 15 degrees extension during flare-ups, which did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, IVDS (Intervertebral Disc Syndrome)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 16, 2024
- Citation
- A24066131
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,044 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24066131.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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