Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2006

The veteran's dry eye syndrome is granted as secondary to his service-connected ulcerative colitis. His cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities are each rated at 20 percent, with no higher rating warranted for either condition.

The Board denied service connection for multiple disabilities claimed as due to herbicide exposure, finding that the veteran's conditions are not related to his military service or presumed exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a neck injury, finding no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board found no evidence of cervical or thoracic nerve damage during service and concluded that the veteran's current diagnoses are not related to an in-service injury, including any hyperextension injury to the cervical spine. Therefore, service connection for a cervical and thoracic disorder, to include nerve damage, is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability is service-connected and granted service connection. The veteran's jaw disability, which was previously service-connected, remains at a noncompensable rating as there is no evidence of moderate displacement or limited range of motion.

The Board found that the evidence did not establish improvement in the veteran's cervical disc herniation at the time of the reduction from a 40 percent to a 30 percent evaluation, and thus denied the claim for restoration of the higher rating.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for a cervical spine disability due to withdrawal by the veteran. The lumbar spine disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical and thoracic spine disorders are not related to his military service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and other issues, finding that there was no evidence linking his conditions to service or exposure to herbicides. The effective date of service connection remains unchanged.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to determine the extent of his service-connected conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical and lumbar degenerative disc disease, cervical and lumbar spondylosis, lateral wedge compression fracture at L3, and acquired mid-lumbar levoscoliosis. The other issues were not resolved in favor of the veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including chemical burns to the face, venereal disease, cervical spine disability, trauma to the testicles, hypertension, sinusitis, and bilateral plantar heel disabilities.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for DDD of the cervical spine, as it was not demonstrated in service or within one year after discharge.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service and denied all three claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a neurological examination to determine if the veteran's cervical spine disability is related to his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board found that the veteran's thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities pre-existed service, and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation during service. Therefore, these conditions are not service-connected.

The veteran's cervical spine disability is not productive of pronounced symptoms, and the current rating of 40 percent does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, primary cerebellar degeneration and cervical spine condition, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability and right shoulder disability were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine stenosis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine at L5-S1, and headaches. The veteran was currently in receipt of a maximum disability rating of 60 percent for his service-connected cervical spine disability.