The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes of the cervical spine and right acromioclavicular joint arthritis, both found to be secondary to the veteran's service-connected postoperative residuals of a right total knee replacement.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions provided by VA examiners and private physician support the finding that the veteran's current cervical spine and shoulder conditions are at least as likely as not due to his self-reported falls and reliance on a cane for balance, which were caused or exacerbated by his service-connected right knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the cervical spine, Right acromioclavicular joint arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- April 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0612372
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 0612372.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 a cervical spine disability as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to active duty, ADT, or IDT.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the cervical spine and migraines (claimed as headaches) as secondary to a degenerative change in the cervical spine.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claim for an increased rating for the service-connected cervical spine disability is remanded to correct a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the May 2022 rating decision on appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD, right shoulder disability, right knee disability, degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine, degenerative changes of the cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as there was no evidence to support a current diagnosis or a link to active service.
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