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Cervical Spinal Cord Injury is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 5235 of 38 CFR § 4.71a, DC 5235 across 6 severity tiers (10% / 20% / 30% / 40% / 50%…). Service connection requires (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service event, injury, or exposure, and (3) a medical nexus opinion linking the two under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303.
A cervical spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord within the neck region (C1-C7), most often from trauma such as a fracture or dislocation of a cervical vertebra, that disrupts the nerve pathways carrying motor and sensory signals between the brain and the body. Depending on severity and level, it can cause complete or incomplete tetraplegia (quadriplegia) or partial deficits affecting the arms, hands, trunk, and legs, along with autonomic effects on bowel, bladder, breathing, and blood pressure. The bony cervical injury and the resulting neurological deficits are distinct impairments: the orthopedic limitation of the neck is rated on the spine formula, while the cord-related paralysis and sensory loss are evaluated under the neurological rating schedule.
Rating criteria reference 38 C.F.R. Part 4 (Schedule for Rating Disabilities). This entry has not yet undergone editorial review against the live regulation text — consult the authoritative source directly before relying on the criteria shown.