The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative disc disease with thoracic scoliosis/kyphosis and remanded the claim for service connection of sleep disorder, secondary to the back disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine symptoms more nearly approximated forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less, but they have not more nearly approximated ankylosis, or incapacitating episodes due to intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) at any time.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease with thoracic scoliosis/kyphosis, Sleep disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25038014
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 the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, sleep disorder, erectile dysfunction, and right eye injury as new and relevant evidence was not received to readjudicate these claims.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities, granted a 20% rating for each, and denied an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the spine. The Board also denied increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder and service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, bruxism, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, and sleep disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, while remanding claims for depression, anxiety, sleep disorder, right knee strain, left knee strain, and lumbar spine strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a sleep disorder or associated acquired psychiatric disorder, to include as secondary to tinnitus, for an examination and medical opinion.
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