The Board denied a disability rating greater than 20 percent for intervertebral disc syndrome and remanded the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show limitation of forward flexion to 30 degrees or less, ankylosis, muscle spasm, or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour. The Board found that a new medical opinion was necessary for the obstructive sleep apnea claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS), Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25023890
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 50 percent rating.
- Partly granted
The appeal for entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was granted, while other appeals were dismissed as untimely and remanded for further action on essential tremors.
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