The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spondylotic myelopathy, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and associated radiculopathies have been denied. The RO has granted separate ratings for the upper and lower extremity radiculopathies.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a higher rating based on additional limitation of motion or other factors such as pain, weakness, excess fatigability, or incoordination.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spondylotic myelopathy, status post fusion, Thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, Right upper extremity radiculopathy associated with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, status post fusion, Left upper extremity radiculopathy associated with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, status post fusion, Right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, Left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 19, 2017
- Citation
- 1758664
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 1758664.
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 Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease was denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 10 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connected thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right upper and lower extremities, and radiculopathy of the left upper and lower extremities are all remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including thoracolumbar and cervical spine conditions, preclude locomotion without the aid of a walker, warranting eligibility for specially adapted housing.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied a compensable disability rating for hypertension. Several issues related to increased ratings were remanded.
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