The Veteran's right arm and/or elbow disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis.,Service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 due to a post-service injury.,Right upper extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 as it is secondary to a pre-existing condition.,Left upper extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 due to a post-service injury.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 as it is secondary to a pre-existing condition.,Left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine was properly severed from June 30, 2014 due to a post-service injury.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of a right arm and/or elbow disorder.,The evidence shows that any current cervical spine disability is not related to service but rather to a post-service injury in July 2006.,Right upper extremity radiculopathy is secondary to the pre-existing cervical spine condition, which was incurred after service.,Left upper extremity radiculopathy is also secondary to the pre-existing cervical spine condition, which occurred after service.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy are both secondary to a post-service injury in July 2006.
- Claimed conditions
- Right arm/elbow disorder, Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Right upper extremity radiculopathy, Left upper extremity radiculopathy, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2018
- Citation
- 18146676
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 18146676.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that there is no nexus between the current disability and active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Denied
The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy was evaluated at a 20 percent rating, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
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