The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for DDD of the cervical spine, radiculopathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as a higher rating for ankylosing spondylitis. The Board found that these conditions were not related to his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's cervical spine condition was degenerative in nature and not secondary to his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis, and that there was no relationship between the radicular symptoms of the lower extremities and his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremities, Radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2012
- Citation
- 1225757
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 1225757.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examiner's opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities result in loss of use and if so, whether he requires aid and attendance without considering such disability/ies. The Veteran also needs to be considered for SMC R1 based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Granted
The July 2024 rating decision granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, with initial ratings of 10 percent each. The past-due benefits awarded are contested.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for GERD is denied as there was no evidence of symptomatology warranting such a rating prior to May 19, 2024.,The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD is denied as the record does not show worsening symptoms within one year before December 31, 2021.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities are denied as there was no evidence of such conditions within a year prior to December 31, 2021.,There is no effective date earlier than December 31, 2021, for any of these claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and a higher rating to obtain additional medical evidence.
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