The Veteran's degenerative arthritis thoracolumbar spine is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate based on the evidence of record.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports do not show forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine less than or equal to 30 degrees, which would be required for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Veteran's symptoms are adequately addressed by the current 10 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 25, 2026
- Citation
- 26002666
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 26002666.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral feet condition and degenerative arthritis thoracolumbar spine due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine. Further development is needed as the VA opinions provided are inadequate.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis thoracolumbar spine, left hip degenerative arthritis, and right hip degenerative arthritis on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.,The decision also remanded the claim for entitlement to service connection for skin cancer.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, not related to his service-connected conditions. The Board found no evidence linking the cause of death to active duty or service-connected disabilities.
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