The Veteran's degenerative changes of the cervical and thoracolumbar spine were found to have manifested within one year of her separation from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.
The deciding factor: Degenerative changes in the Veteran’s neck and back were found to have occurred within a year of her separation from active duty, qualifying under the VA's presumptive provisions for such conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative changes of the cervical spine, degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18105123
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18105123.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine and lumbar spondylosis with multilevel mild and mild-to-moderate neural foraminal stenosis, finding that his back disorder is etiologically related to his active service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The claims for service connection on all listed conditions are not before the Board.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, right wrist sprain, left wrist disability manifested by pain, left foot arthritis, right foot arthritis and hallux valgus, headaches, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, degenerative changes of the cervical spine, right lateral epicondylitis (claimed as right arm disability), and left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy (claimed as left arm disability and left elbow disability).
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral syndrome and denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent or 30 percent for the cervical spine. However, it granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for left knee instability and a 20 percent disability rating for degenerative changes of the cervical spine prior to November 18, 2015.
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