The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's cervical degenerative joint and disc disease, finding that the evidence did not show forward flexion of the cervical spine to 15 degrees or less or favorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations documented the Veteran’s range of motion as being within normal limits with no ankylosis. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted based on pain and functional loss, which is already contemplated by the current 20% rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical degenerative joint and disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080575
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
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