The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the cervical and thoracolumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are due to injuries sustained during combat in Vietnam. The Board also found continuity of symptoms since service separation.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established based on chronicity of symptoms shown in service or continuous symptomatology since service separation, consistent with the circumstances, conditions, or hardships of service.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of cervical spine, Bone spurs of cervical spine, Arthritis of thoracolumbar spine, Bone spurs of thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1619848
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 1619848.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran was diagnosed with arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine during and within one year of his discharge from service. The Board found that the March 2008 rating decision incorrectly applied the law, leading to a denial of service connection for this condition. As a result, the CUE motion is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine injury and related conditions have been granted service connection, with a rating of 30 percent effective December 22, 2017. The right knee disability, arthritis of the cervical spine, neuropathy of left upper extremity, lumbar spine disability, sciatica of bilateral lower extremities as secondary to a lumbar spine disability, and skin disability have not been granted service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis in his hands and fingers, a psychiatric disorder, arthritis of his hips, cervical spine, left knee, wrists, and right knee. The issues of arthritis of the bilateral hips, cervical spine, left knee, and bilateral wrists have been remanded due to insufficient medical opinions. The issue of hypertension has also been remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a cervical spine condition and sleep apnea due to incomplete opinions from VA examiners. The Veteran's cervical condition is related to his military service, but the examiner found no evidence in service records. Sleep apnea was diagnosed after service, and there is conflicting information about its onset.
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