The Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy of the right upper and lower extremities was denied. The claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine (prior to September 8, 2015), and cervical spine (from September 8, 2015 onwards) were also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had radiculopathy in his right upper and lower extremities. The lumbar spine disability was found to have less than incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), cervical spine disability prior to September 8, 2015, also had less than incapacitating episodes of IVDS, but from September 8, 2015 onwards did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of Lumbar Spine, Radiculopathy of Left Upper Extremity, Radiculopathy of Left Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2016
- Citation
- 1619369
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 1619369.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with adjustment disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, effective May 23, 2025. Prior to this date, the Veteran's claim was denied due to insufficient evidence of an in-service stressor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU due to procedural errors in the duty to assist.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial 50% rating for migraine headaches is granted, and an increased 30% rating for right knee limitation of flexion from December 8, 2017 is also granted. Initial ratings of 40% and 20% are assigned for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity respectively.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee replacements, as well as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, were denied. The evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
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