The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected cervical spine and right upper extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: The last VA examination was conducted in 2012, which did not include passive range of motion measurements or weight-bearing range of motion measurements. The Veteran's symptoms worsen during flare-ups and physical activity.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18134925
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 18134925.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including right and left upper extremity radiculopathies, is granted as service connected. The issues of right and left upper extremity radiculopathy are remanded for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 40 percent for the right (major) upper extremity and 30 percent for the left (minor) upper extremity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a cervical spine disability and lumbar spine disability as further development is needed to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for PTSD and remanded the claims for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy.
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