The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his spine and hand conditions were denied. The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine condition was found to have flexion greater than 60 degrees but not exceeding 85 degrees, without any incapacitating episodes of IVDS. His cervical spine condition had flexion greater than 30 degrees but with mild reversal of the lordosis in the upper cervical spine due to paraspinal muscle spasm. The bilateral pes planus and left wrist neuropathy conditions were found to be noncompensable. The right epididymitis/variocele condition was also found to be noncompensable.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service connection claims for his spine and hand conditions were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under the applicable rating schedule.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbar spine, Degenerative disc disease, cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 18, 2010
- Citation
- 1030997
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 1030997.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 multiple conditions, including cervical spine, chronic fatigue, and various nerve damages, as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to in-service events.
- Denied
The appeal for an increased rating for left hip, the claims for entitlement to an earlier effective date and an increased rating for right knee strain, and the appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left shoulder strain were dismissed. The claim for a 40 percent rating from June 24, 2021 for degenerative disc disease was granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disability as secondary to a cervical spine disability due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a higher initial rating of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and scoliosis, but remanded the other issues.
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